Newport Man Charged with DUI

A 30-year-old city man is facing charges of driving under the influence, refusing a chemical test and leaving the scene of an accident for allegedly sideswiping a tow truck on Broadway Monday night.

Police said Rafael Munoz-Escobar, of 15 School St., Newport, struck the truck at around 8:21 p.m.

The driver of the tow truck told police that he was driving on Broadway when Munoz-Escobar veered into his lane of travel and struck the side of his truck. Munoz-Escobar’s VW Jetta suffered damage to its side mirror. Otherwise, the tow truck wasn’t damaged.

Police said the driver of the tow truck stopped and got out of his truck right after the accident happened. Munoz-Escobar did stop, but began to drive away once the tow driver got out, according to a police report.

The tow driver then began to follow Munoz-Escobar with his yellow emergency lights flashing as he called police.

Police soon stopped Munoz-Escobar near Mary and School Streets, police said.

Munoz-Escobar refused to complete a portion of a field sobriety test at the scene. Other tests could not be performed at the scene due to several inches of snow on the ground, police said.

He later refused a chemical test at police headquarters and eventually was transported to Newport Hospital after complaining of chest pains.

Along with the DUI, refusal and hit and run charges, Munoz-Escobar was charged with driving with a suspended license.

Nobody was injured in the accident.

Munoz was later released with a District Court date of Feb. 10 to be arraigned on the DUI and motor vehicle violations.

He is due to appear at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal on Feb. 19 to answer to the refusal charge.