Newport Man Charged with DUI after Near-Miss with Police Cruiser

Newport Police charged a 33-year-old Newport man with driving under the influence on Monday after he nearly crashed into a police cruiser at 1:15 a.m. on Bellevue Avenue.

Police said Francisco Amaral, of 16 Potter St., Newport, was heading south in his BMW when an officer in the opposite direction saw him “traveling directly towards my cruiser,” according to a police report.

Amaral then allegedly slammed on his brakes and “aggressively swerved” back into his lane. He then “accelerated, swerved back into [the wrong] lane and proceeded through the red traffic light at the intersection of Bellevue and Memorial Blvd.”

The officer turned around and watched Amaral pull into the Bellevue Gardens parking lot and park in front of CVS, which was closed He then reportedly waited in front of the automatic doors for several seconds, apparently unaware that the store was closed. He then “appeared to reach for a handle that was not present on the door to CVS and lost his balance stumbling backwards.”

The officer got out of his cruiser and quickly determined that Amaral smelled like alcohol. Although he initially denied drinking, police said, he eventually said he was drinking with some friends earlier.

Amaral failed a field sobriety test and later refused a chemical test at police headquarters. 

Amaral was charged with driving under the influence, first offense, and refusing a chemical test.

He was released with summonses to appear in District Court on March 19 for the DUI charge and cited for refusing a chemical test and running a stop sign.