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The Rhode Island State Police on Monday announced the arrest of Joseph L. Giudici, 40, of 7 Canonchet Trail, Johnston, RI, for DUI after a collision with two marked Rhode Island State Police cruisers on Saturday night, resulting in injuries to two Troopers.
Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety, emphasized the commitment to road safety, stating, “Last year, the Rhode Island State Police made over 1,000 arrests for impaired driving, and we are working hard to make our roads safe for everyone on them, including our Troopers.” He expressed gratitude that the Troopers sustained only minor injuries and reminded drivers to drive sober and move over when emergency lights are present.
The incident occurred at approximately 1:14 AM on Route 6 West in Providence. Three marked cruisers were stopped in the left lane with their emergency lights activated, awaiting the arrival of Department of Transportation (DOT) Trucks to assist with cleaning road debris from an earlier collision. Mr. Giudici struck one cruiser in a side-swipe manner and continued to collide with a second cruiser. The collision caused serious damage to both cruisers and Mr. Giudici’s vehicle.
Both Troopers were treated on the scene by Providence Rescue and subsequently transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where they received treatment for minor injuries and were released. Mr. Giudici was also treated on the scene and later transported to Rhode Island Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation at the scene and at the hospital revealed signs of impairment in Mr. Giudici, leading to his consent for a blood test. He faces charges of Driving Under the Influence (BAC Unknown – Blood test result pending), Driving to Endanger Resulting in Personal Injuries (2 Counts), and Reckless Driving. Mr. Giudici is scheduled to appear in 6th District Court on February 1, 2024. The collision underscores the importance of responsible driving and the potential consequences of impaired driving on road safety.
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WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Two people are dead and another person seriously hurt after a crash involving two vehicles on the highway in Warwick Saturday.
Rhode Island State Police said the crash happened around 1:34 p.m. on the ramp from Route 113 West to I-95 South.
According to police, a Hyundai SUV that was driving in the middle lane of the highway started to drift to the right, crossed the first lane, and then crossed onto the on-ramp lane. The car struck the guardrail twice before driving through the grass median.
The Hyundai then struck the driver’s side of a Mercedes SUV that was on the ramp, causing the Mercedes to roll over and come to a rest. The impact sent the Hyundai over the guardrail and down an embankment.
The driver of the Hyundai, a 73-year-old man, and his passenger, a 69-year-old woman, were both pronounced dead at the hospital.
A woman who was in the Mercedes was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition.
State police said all lanes of traffic were reopened by 4:30 p.m.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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A federal judge on Friday tossed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit aiming to force Rhode Island to hand over its voter information as part of the Trump administration’s push to acquire voter data from several states.
Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy wrote that federal law does not allow the DOJ “to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here,” siding with Rhode Island election officials. She added that the DOJ did not provide evidence to suggest that Rhode Island violated election law.
McElroy, a Trump appointee, wrote that she sided with the similar decision in Oregon. That decision ruled that the DOJ was not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists.
“Absent from the demand are any factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island may be violating the list maintenance requirements,” she said in her ruling.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D) praised McElroy’s decision. He said in a statement that the Trump administration “seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states.”
“Today’s decision affirms our position: the United States Department of Justice has no legal right to – or need for – the personally-identifiable information in our voter file,” he said. “Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states, and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”
The Hill reached out to the DOJ for comment.
The DOJ called for the voter lists as it investigated Rhode Island’s compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which allowed Americans to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license.
The DOJ sued at least 30 states, as well as Washington, D.C., in December demanding their respective voter data. This data includes birth dates, names and partial Social Security numbers.
At least 12 states have given or said they will give the DOJ their voter registration lists, according to a tracker operated by the Brennan Center for Justice.
The department stated after it lost a similar suit against Massachusetts earlier this month that it had “sweeping powers” to access the voter data and that, if states fail to comply, courts have a “limited, albeit vital, role” in directing election officers on behalf of the administration to produce the records. The DOJ cited the Civil Rights Act as being intended to unearth alleged election law violations.
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