Narragansett Woman Charged with DUI after Head-on Crash in North Kingstown

A 25-year-old Narragansett woman with a lengthy criminal history has been charged with driving under the influence, driving to endanger and driving without a license after she allegedly caused a three-car collision on Tower Hill Road in North Kingstown Sunday night.

The crash sent four people to the hospital, including Laura Jean Baumgardner, 25, of 9 Kingstown Road, Narragansett, who allegedly drove a gold Toyota Camry head-on into a Buick at around 8 p.m.

North Kingstown Police Lt. Joseph Hart told the Patch that Baumgardner was arraigned at Rhode Island Hospital on Monday afternoon for the alleged incident.

The crash happened at around 8 p.m. Baumgardner reportedly side-swiped another car, which then led to a head-on collision with the Buick.

The crash caused Tower Hill Road to be blocked off for a period of time on Sunday night.

Witnesses said that that Baumgardner smelled like alcohol at the scene.

She was “incoherent and resisted help,” said Keith Warren Mercado Lazarski. “She had to be held in place by several of us to limit her movement.”

There were other reports she was involved in an incident in a nearby church parking lot. People reportedly called police to report her screeching tires in the lot, jumping out of her car, urinating on the pavement and then leaving before police arrived.

Her hood was buckled in the church parking lot, leading some to believe she had already hit something before the head-on collision.

Court records show Baumgardner has been arrested several dozen times across Rhode Island for a variety of charges including drug possession, felony larceny, motor vehicle theft and other charges.

Hart said that Baumgardner was seriously injured in the crash, though she is expected to recover.

The other victims have not yet been identified, but Hart said they are recovering from non life-threatening injuries.

Photo Courtesy: WPRI