STATE POLICE CHARGE TWO INDIVIDUALS AS A RESULT OF AN INVESTIGATON INTO DECEMBER DOUBLE FATAL ACCIDENT IN JOHNSTON
Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Commissioner of Public Safety, announces that members of the Rhode Island State Police Major Crimes Unit and members of the Scituate Barracks arrested two men in relation to an investigation of a double fatal motor vehicle accident that occurred on December 13, 2016 on Route 6 in the Town of Johnston.
On January 17, 2017, Mr. Zachary Albanese, age 19, of 20 Moswansicut Drive, Johnston, Rhode Island and Mr. Peter Lawrence, age 26, of 123 Bungy Road, Scituate, Rhode Island were arrested for the following:
• Two (2) counts of Driving to Endanger, Death Resulting
• Street Racing – (Justin Nunes’ Law)
The arrests were the result of an investigation of a motor vehicle accident involving multiple vehicles that occurred at the intersection of Route 6 and Bishop Hill Road. The investigation revealed that just prior to the collision, Albanese and Lawrence were allegedly engaged in a high-speed street race resulting in Albanese striking a third vehicle that was attempting to make a left turn onto Bishop Hill Road from Route 6 West. Albanese subsequently lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway, spun into the parking lot of a Sunoco gas station, where it then struck an unoccupied Honda SUV that was parked in front of a gas pump. The vehicle then rotated across the parking lot and re-entered Route 6 West where it came to a final rest.
As a result of the accident, the rear-seat passenger in the Albanese vehicle, identified as Taylor Reilly, age 18, and the front seat passenger in the Albanese vehicle, identified as Dylan Lorenzo, age 18, were both transported to Rhode Island Hospital where they were later pronounced deceased.
Albanese and Lawrence were both arraigned at the Rhode Island State Police Headquarters before Justice of the Peace, Matthew Dawson and released on $10,000 personal recognizance. They are scheduled to appear at Third Division District Court on January 20, 2017 for a re-arraignment hearing.