Man charged in chase from Warwick to Cranston appears in court
WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) — A man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase through Warwick and Cranston appeared in Kent County District Court on Friday, facing multiple charges including DUI and eluding law enforcement.
Warwick police said Roberto Lopez, 45, on Thursday failed to stop for an officer who suspected he might be driving under the influence.
They said he proceeded to lead officers on a chase, and prosecutors said he repeatedly veered into the oncoming lane of travel, ran stop signs and kept driving at high speeds on a flat tire.
Eventually, he drove on to Interstate 95 north, but his tire eventually fell off as he attempted to keep driving on the rim.
When he was no longer able to keep the car on the road, police said he peeled off the highway into a grassy area near Wellington Avenue in Cranston.
Police said he exited his vehicle and hopped a fence, but it was shortly after this that prosecutors claimed a good Samaritan tripped him and police were able to take him into custody.
Prosecutors also said that following his arrest, Lopez apologized and said he initially took off because he was scared. He also revealed he is employed by a local towing company, and he appeared in court wearing a work jacket. Attempts to contact the company and verify Lopez's employment were not returned as of Friday evening.
Witnesses of the chase said it was a very dangerous situation.
"You're just walking from a doctor's appointment killing some time and all of a sudden, some guy flies by us. He could've taken us out, you know?" said Brian Yelle. "The way he was coming, if he would have lost control, we were done."
"I see people going to work every day over the speed limit, but this is the fastest I've ever seen anyone drive on a non-highway road," added Alicia Johnson.
Prosecutors said Lopez had also been wanted on a weapons-related charge in Maine. His bail was set at $20,000.
