Barrington girl charged with DUI after crash on Sowams Road
Police digging for details about underage drinking party
Barrington police have widened their investigation into a reported underage drinking party that took place the same night as a serious car accident.
Police were called to a single car accident on Friday night, Oct. 28, at 11:23 p.m. on Sowams Road, near the Johannis Farm property. Officials said the car, driven by a 17-year-old Barrington girl, may have been speeding when it left the roadway and slammed into a tree. Police also believe the girl had been under the influence of alcohol and was possibly using her cell phone while driving.
By the time officers arrived on the scene, four 17-year-old Barrington boys — all had been passengers in the car — were standing outside the vehicle. The driver was trapped inside the badly damaged Acura.
A fire department official reported that a "Level 1 mass casualty" was declared, which drew a total of five rescues to the scene. Officials also alerted local hospitals that multiple patients would be transported.
"Five patients total were transported with serious but non life threatening injuries," wrote the fire department official. "The Jaws of Life were used to cut the driver out."
Police said residents came to the aid of the teenagers following the crash and reported smelling the odor of alcohol and marijuana coming from the teenagers.
Barrington police charged the Barrington girl with DUI-first offense, refusal to take a chemical test, possession of alcohol by an underage person, possession of false identification (2 counts), and land roadway violations. Police said the girl had two fake IDs in her wallet, and officers found a half-empty bottle of cognac inside the car.
None of the boys has been charged, although Barrington Police Chief John LaCross said the department is still investigating the incident.
"We are actively investigating what happened at the house," he said.
The chief is referring to a home in Hampden Meadows where some teenagers had reportedly gathered on Friday night.
"We believe it was a very small get-together," he said.
Chief LaCross said some teenagers had gathered at the home following the high school football game. He said the 17-year-old Barrington girl later stopped by the home, although it was not clear how much time she spent at the house.
Chief LaCross said the girl and four boys left the house and eventually drove north on Sowams Road, heading toward Seekonk. As the vehicle neared the curve on Sowams Road near Johannis Farm, it careened off the road and plowed into a tree.
"It's undetermined if the driver had a seatbelt on," said Chief LaCross, adding that she sustained more serious injuries than the boys. "She had a provisional license… The operator may have been looking at her cell phone…"
Police said there were no parents at the house party, although an older sibling of one of the high school students was there. Police are asking anyone with more information about the house party to call the department's confidential tip line at 437-3933.
"For me, this is a close call," said Chief LaCross. "Especially on that corner."
Chief LaCross said that section of Sowams Road has played host to fatal car accidents in the past, and was the scene of a recent serious accident involving young people from another town. Alcohol had also been a factor in that crash.
"We have to keep educating the kids in this town and giving reminders to the parents that when you're not home, these things may occur," said Chief LaCross.
"It's a community's responsibility to make sure we don't have a fatality."
