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NEWPORT — A car rollover in Newport Tuesday, May 12 ended with a charge for driving under the influence.
Laurence Anthony Colucci, 74, was driving northbound on Highway 2 when he reached the West Seventh Street intersection around 2:46 p.m. There, he went off the roadway and onto the shoulder, causing his car to roll over. In the collision, Colucci was ejected from his car, as he was not wearing a seatbelt.
Officials soon arrived at the scene and discovered Colucci uninjured, as well as signs that he was intoxicated, said Sgt. Greg Riddell of the Washington State Patrol.
Colucci was taken to a local hospital for a blood draw, then served with a warrant by WSP for the results of that blood draw, which confirmed that he was intoxicated.
WSP charged Colucci with driving under the influence, before releasing him, Riddell said. Colucci was still in the hospital, and his DUI was considered a simple DUI, where no other passengers or casualties were involved.
“If we would have done a booking, we would have had to stay there at the hospital,” Riddell said. “And it would have taken a lot of time.”
