RI State Police Trooper Injured In DUI Crash On I-95

WARWICK, RI — A Rhode Island state trooper was hit and injured during a traffic stop on Interstate 95 South Tuesday night, police said. The trooper was pulled over, conducting a traffic stop at the time.

The crash happened around 5:30 p.m., just south of the Service Road overpass in Warwick. The cruiser's lights were on, and both the trooper's and the other driver vehicles were completely stopped in the breakdown lane.

A Nissan sedan veered across the travel lane and into the breakdown lane, hitting the rear driver's side of the police cruiser. The crash pushed the cruiser forward into the vehicle that had been pulled over, a Toyota sedan.

The driver of the Toyota was not injured and was released at the scene, state police said. The trooper was "moderately injured," police said, and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital.

The Nissan driver was identified as 54-year-old Warwick resident Richard Stanley. He was also injured in the crash and hospitalized, where he provided a blood sample for an alcohol test.

After he was released from the hospital, Stanley was taken to state police headquarters and charged with driving under the influence and driving to endanger, injury resulting.

"Our Troopers are putting themselves in harm’s way every day to assist motorists and enforce our traffic safety laws, but we need Rhode Islanders to do their part," State Police Col. James Manni said. "Slow down and move over when you see an emergency vehicle and very simply, don’t drink and drive. This is the 19th time one of our cruisers has been hit this year and every incident could have ended in tragedy."