State Police Issue 96 Tickets, Arrest 6 On Block Island

NEW SHOREHAM, RI — Six people were arrested and nearly 100 traffic tickets were issued in the Rhode Island State Police's first weekend of stepped-up patrols on Block Island. Over the weekend, troopers were called to four crashes, three of which involved mopeds.

The department committed to three weeks of increased patrols following a string of recent crashes, two of which were fatal.

"Traffic safety is our priority and we are committed to working with the New Shoreham Police Department to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors of Block Island," Col. James Manni said.

All six arrests were out-of-state drivers, according to state police. Additional troopers, including members of the traffic safety unit, were sent to the island Friday and increased patrols throughout the weekend.

Two arrests were made Friday: one of a 44-year-old Connecticut man for public urination near the ferry dock. The other happened just before midnight, when Francis Joseph Morelli, 26, of Boheima, New York, was charged with DUI and refusing to take a chemical test.

On Saturday, two more arrests were made just before 6 p.m. Two men, one a 37-year-old from Seekonk, Massachusetts, the other a 34-year-old from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, were charged with domestic assault and disorderly conduct. The Seekonk man was also charged with vandalism.

Just after midnight on Sunday, Robert Dynarski, 57, of Meriden, Connecticut, was charged with DUI, blood alcohol level unknown, after refusing to submit to a chemical test after he was pulled over on West Side Road.

At 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, Anthony Almonte, 20, of Sebastian, Florida, was charged with DUI, BAC unknown, reckless driving and possession of an alcoholic beverage by a minor following a rollover crash on Old Mill Road.

No serious injuries were reported in any of the weekend crashes, police said. After a 22-year-old Cranston man was killed in a moped crash last week, the New Shoreham Town Council voted to crack down on moped rentals, instituting stricter regulations on the companies that own them.

Read more:

• DUI Suspected In Block Island Rollover Crash: State Police
• New Shoreham Council Puts New Restrictions On Block Island Mopeds
• State Police Called In To Help Enforce Block Island Moped Safety
• New Shoreham Officials Concerned With Uptick In Moped Crashes
• Connecticut Boy, 16, Killed In Crash On Block Island