Man Who Drove Into Pond Charged with DUI, Second Offense

The driver of a pickup truck that ended up upside down in a pond off Stony Lane on Monday night has been charged with driving under the influence, second offense.

Police said Benjamin Michael Higgins, 25, of 11 Jackson Ave., East Providence, lost control of his Mazda pickup truck at around 9:15 p.m. on Stony Lane.

The truck crashed into a wooden bridge on a Stony Lane property and ended up partially submerged in a pond.

A nearby resident heard a crash and saw the truck in his neighbor’s pond. He then ran to the pond, went into the water and pulled Higgins from the truck.

Police said when they arrived, Higgins was inside one of the nearby houses after a resident took him in to warm up.

Higgins allegedly asked a person at the residence to “cover for him” and say that he was visiting and staying for the night.

But police said after questioning, Higgins admitted to drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel and said he had drunk “too much to drive.”

Police said Higgins failed a field sobriety test and he was promptly arrested without incident.

Along with the DUI charge, police cited Higgins for a lane roadway violation and refusing a chemical test.

Higgins was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released on personal recognizance until March 24 for a pretrial conference in Third Division District Crout.