Warwick Man Convicted For Injuring State Trooper In A Drunken Crash

WARWICK, RI — A Warwick man was convicted after prosecutors proved he drunkenly crashed into and injured a Rhode Island State Police trooper in 2021, Attorney General Peter Neronha said Thursday.

On Feb. 8, a jury found Richard Stanley, 56, guilty of driving to endanger resulting in physical injury and driving under the influence. Stanley's sentencing was scheduled for April 26.

"Every time someone chooses to drive while under the influence, they are putting many lives at risk," Neronha said. "Our Rhode Island State troopers have a mantra — 'always there' — that aptly describes their commitment to public safety and service to Rhode Islanders. Living up to that mantra also means that our troopers expose themselves to great risk, as evidenced by this case."

During the trial, prosecutors proved that on Dec. 28, 2021, Stanley crashed his vehicle into a state police cruiser alongside Interstate 95 southbound in Warwick. The crash injured a trooper who was in the middle of a traffic stop and had his emergency lights activated.

Investigators from the RI State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit determined Stanley's vehicle was traveling at 52 mph prior to the crash, and at no time during the five seconds preceding the crash did he use his brakes.

Following the crash, Stanley told police he drank alcohol and had taken Xanax. Later, while at Rhode Island Hospital, Stanley submitted to a blood test, which revealed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.11, and Alprazolam (Xanax) was present in his system.

"Typically, the men and women of the Rhode Island State Police respond to all manner of highway crashes as first responders and investigators," RI State Police Col. Darnell Weaver said. "And here, a trooper became the victim of an impaired driving crash — one that could easily have been avoided or exacerbated by a minor change in circumstances. We are all thankful that tragedy was avoided here, and Rhode Islanders should know that impaired driving is completely avoidable, and such a minor thing can have a great impact on public safety."

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