Wrong-Way Driver In South Kingstown Charged With DUI: Police

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — A South Kingstown man was arrested after police in town said he drunkenly drove on the wrong side of Route 1 on Friday morning.

James Cafferty, 32, was charged with driving under the influence and was scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning at Fourth Division District Court in South Kingstown.

Around 3:40 a.m., a South Kingstown officer received a report of someone driving on the wrong side of the street. Police said officers pulled over the vehicle, which was driven by Cafferty, near Government Center.

Police said Cafferty was "extremely confused," and they immediately suspected he was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was placed into custody and taken to South County Hospital in South Kingstown, where he consented to a chemical test, according to police.

"This driver’s bad decision to get behind the wheel could have led to a tragedy this morning," Police Chief Matthew Moynihan said. "I want to commend the good work of our officers who moved quickly — and risked their own safety — to get this dangerous driver off the road."

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