Accused drunk driver crashes into radio station
By: Melissa Randall
@MrandallABC6
A pile of cinder blocks, a broken door and scraps of wood are all that’s left of an office at 1380 WNRI Radio. The extensive damaged was caused by an SUV that smashed into the Woonsocket business just before 12:30 Wednesday morning. No one was in the building at the time. The overnight shift is covered by an automated system.
“I’m so thankful I was not in my office because I wouldn’t be talking to you right now. I would have been crushed against the wall,” said co-owner Dick Bouchard.
Police say the driver, Thomas Hill, 29, of Woonsocket, was drunk when he caused the accident on busy Diamond Hill Road. Rescue crews freed him from the SUV and Hill was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for minor injuries. After being released he was brought to Woonsocket Police Headquarters and charged with DUI and possession of narcotics.
Pieces of his vehicle were left behind as evidence including a wheel and the front bumper. There were no tire marks at the scene which left Bouchard to speculate that Hill never tried to stop.
“[Police] showed me where apparently the bottom of the SUV hit before it hit my office, so you can almost draw a straight line between where it hit on the bottom and where it ended up in my office,” he explained.
Those familiar with the area say the road can be dangerous and that speeding is a big problem.
“It’s probably 25–35 miles per hour through here and they’re going 50. It’s not good,” said long time listener Lee Darling who came out to show his support. “They’ve got to learn to slow down and use their brakes once in a while.”
Amazingly the damage is contained to the single front office. That means that radio programming wasn’t impacted.
Bouchard spent the morning calling contractors in to do repairs. The cost of the damage is estimated to be upwards of $50,000.
“I wish he hadn’t of hit my building, but he did so that’s why we carry insurance,” he said.
© WLNE-TV 2016
