29-year-old Rhode Island man to be charged after serious motor vehicle crash injures family of 5

CRANSTON, RI –The Cranston Police Department Traffic Unit is investigating a serious motor vehicle crash that occurred early Saturday morning on Route 37 East near New London Avenue, resulting in injuries to a family of five and the arrest of one driver on felony driving under the influence charges.

According to police, at just before 4:00 a.m., Cranston Police officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash with injuries on Route 37 East. The preliminary investigation determined that a 2013 BMW, operated by 29-year-old Enrique Alvarado of Providence, was traveling at a high rate of speed when it struck the rear of a 2021 Ram pickup truck, causing extensive damage to both vehicles and airbag deployment.

The Ram was occupied by a family of five. All five occupants were transported to Rhode Island Hospital for evaluation and treatment. Four occupants sustained minor injuries. One occupant suffered a serious facial laceration extending from above the right eyebrow to the bridge of the nose that required surgical repair.

According to witnesses, following the crash, Alvarado attempted to leave the scene on foot before being stopped by the driver of the Ram until first responders arrived.

Responding officers observed several signs of alcohol impairment, including difficulty standing, bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. Alvarado refused to perform standardized field sobriety tests and was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. He later refused to submit to a chemical breath test at Cranston Police Headquarters.

Due to minor injuries sustained in the crash and the severity of the collision, Alvarado was transported by police to Rhode Island Hospital for evaluation. Upon his arrival, hospital staff obtained a blood sample for medical treatment purposes. Detectives are seeking a court-authorized search warrant to preserve that evidence as part of the criminal investigation.

Both vehicles sustained disabling damage and were towed from the scene. Investigators have obtained consent to download the crash data recorder from the Ram pickup and are seeking a search warrant to obtain the CDR from the BMW.

Alvarado remains in police custody at Rhode Island Hospital and will be charged shortly with Driving Under the Influence Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

At this time, investigators believe excessive speed was a contributing factor in the crash. Detectives are also working to determine whether video footage from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation cameras may have captured the incident.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information that may assist investigators is asked to contact the Cranston Police Department Traffic Unit at (401) 942-2211 or anonymously by texting the keyword CRANSTONPD to 847411.