(HE)
A JOHNSTON WOMAN REMAINS HELD
WITHOUT BAIL TONIGHT-- AFTER A
WILD SCENE AT NORTH SMITHFIELD
TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT.
(MM)
POLICE SAY---- THIRTY TWO YEAR
OLD STEPHANIE PLANTE--
RESISTED ARREST--
AFTER SHE CRASHED HER CAR INTO
TOWN HALL.
THE CRASH WAS SO SEVERE--
IT SPLIT THE CAR--
IN TWO.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KAIT
WALSH IS LIVE IN WARWICK-- WHERE
PLANTE FACED A JUDGE A SHORT
TIME AGO.
KAIT WHAT ARE POLICE SAYHING
TONIGHT?
POLICE SAY IT WAS REALLY
INCREDIBLE THAT THE DRIVER -
STEPHANIE PLANTE - AND HER
PASSENGER - WERE NOT HURT IN THE
CRASH.
PLANTE WAS ARRAIGNED HERE AT
KENT COUNTY COURTHOUSE THIS
AFTERNOON - FIRST IN DISTRICT
COURT ON FELONY CHARGES FROM
LAST NIGHT'S INCIDENT - THEN
SUPERIOR COURT.
THIS MANGLED METAL - IS ACTUALLY
THE BACK HALF OF A HONDA ACCORD
- THAT WAS SPLIT IN TWO - DUE TO
ITS SHEER IMPACT INTO THE SIDE
OF NORTH SMITHFIELD TOWN HALL
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
THIS VIEWER PHOTO SHOWS THE
FRONT HALF - FEET AWAY FROM THE
REST OF IT - IN THE MIDDLE OF
NORTH MAIN STREET - JUST OUTSIDE
TOWN HALL.
NORTH SMITHFIELD POLICE SAY IT
ALL BEGAN ON VICTORY HIGHWAY -
WHEN AN OFFICER NOTICED THE CAR
DRIVING ERRATICALLY - AND THEN
TOOK OFF WHEN THE CRUISER'S
LIGHTS AND SIRENS TURNED ON.
TWO WOMEN - THE DRIVER AND HER
PASSENGER - WERE INSIDE WHEN THE
VEHICLE SPED OFF DOWN NORTH MAIN
STREET - AND LOST CONTROL
CRASHING INTO TOWN HALL.
"Very fortunate to be alive
number 1. And not have seriously
injury at all. They both had
minor injuries."
BUT THE DRIVER - 32-YEAR-OLD
STEPHANIE PLANTE - WAS BROUGHT
TO LANDMARK MEDICAL CENTER - A
BLOOD SAMPLE WAS TAKEN TO
DETERMINE IF SHE WAS UNDER THE
INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL - AND TO BE
EVALUATED AFTER SHE HAD TO BE
PEPPER SPRAYED AT THE SCENE FOR
ALLEGEDLY RESISTING ARREST.
"An officer wants to use the
least amount of force necessary
to effect an arrest. She was
being completely combative. In
actuality, what it does is it
prevents further injury on her
part."
PLANTE SPENT THE NIGHT AT NORTH
SMITHFIELD LOCKUP.
FAST FORWARD TO THURSDAY
AFTERNOON WHEN PLANTE WAS
ARRAIGNED ON 9 CHARGES INCLUDING
THREE COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF
NARCOTICS.
"A subsequent search of the
vehicle and components that were
in the vehicle, suboxone,
mushrooms, a small amount of
marijuana was found."
OTHER CHARGES INCLUDED ASSAULT
ON A POLICE OFFICER AND DRIVING
WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE - THIRD
OFFENSE.
ON THOSE CHARGES - PLANTE WAS
HELD ON 5-THOUSAND DOLLARS
SURETY BAIL - BUT SHE WAS THEN
PRESENTED AS A VIOLATOR ON
PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS OUT OF
SUPERIOR COURT - WHERE SHE WAS
HELD WITHOUT BAIL.
NEW AT 6 - WE LOOK INTO HER
CRIMINAL HISTORY.
LIVE IN WARWICK - I'M KAIT WALSH
HERSHGORDON, EYEWITNESS NEWS.
(HE)
NEW DETAILS NOW ---
ON THE WOMAN FACING CHARGES,
FOLLOWING A CRASH IN NORTH
SMITHFIELD THAT WAS FIRST
BREAKING THIS MORNING.
THE CRASH LEFT THE CAR SPLIT IN
HALF --- AND ALSO CAUSED SOME
DAMAGE TO NORTH SMITHFIELD TOWN
HALL.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KAIT
WALSH JOINS US LIVE FROM WARWICK
WHERE THE SUSPECT APPEARED IN
COURT A SHORT TIME AGO.
STEPHANIE PLANTE IS BEHIND BARS
TONIGHT - NOT FOR THE 9 CHARGES
SHE FACES IN LAST NIGHT'S CRASH
- BUT FOR BEING ARRESTED AFTER
HAVING A LENGTHY CRIMINAL
HISTORY OF FELONY DRUG
CONVICTIONS.
POLICE SAY - SHE AND HER
PASSENGER - ARE LUCKY THEY
SURVIVED THE CRASH - AND WITHOUT
SERIOUS INJURIES.
32-YEAR-OLD STEPHANIE PLANTE OF
JOHNSTON - ARRAIGNED ON 9
CHARGES INCLUDING 3 COUNTS OF
POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS - A
THIRD OFFENSE OF DRIVING WITH A
SUSPENDED LICENSE - AND
ASSAULTING AN OFFICER -
FOLLOWING THIS CRASH SCENE.
NORTH SMITHFIELD POLICE SAY SHE
HAD TO BE PEPPER SPRAYED FOR
RESISTING ARREST - AFTER HER
ERRATIC DRIVING ALLEGEDLY LED
THEM ON A PURSUIT DOWN VICTORY
HIGHWAY - BEFORE SHE REPORTEDLY
SPED OFF DOWN NORTH MAIN STREET-
CRASHING INTO THE CORNER OF
NORTH SMITHFIELD TOWN HALL.
"We just heard a huge crash."
WHILE THERE'S NOT MUCH PHYSICAL
DAMAGE TO TOWN HALL - THE IMPACT
WAS SO POWERFUL - IT SEVERED THE
HONDA ACCORD INTO TWO PIECES -
THE TAIL END - ROLLING DOWN THE
STREET TOWARD THE GUARDRAIL ON
THE NEWLY RENOVATED SLATERSVILLE
BRIDGE.
PLANTE - AND HER PASSENGER - AN
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN - WERE IN THE
FRONT PART OF THE CAR THAT CAME
TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF NORTH
MAIN STREET.
"They're both very fortunate to
be alive, number 1, and not have
serious injury at all."
IN DISTRICT COURT- PLANTE WAS
SAID TO HAVE BEEN IN POSSESSION
OF NARCOTICS INCLUDING MUSHROOMS
- LORAZEPAM - AND SOBOXONE.
IN SUPERIOR COURT - SHE WAS HELD
WITHOUT BAIL FOR HER LENGTHY
CRIMINAL HISTORY DATING BACK TO
WHEN SHE WAS 19 - IN WHICH SHE
HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO SERVE TIME
FOR NUMEROUS FELONY DRUG
CONVICTIONS.
NORTH SMITHFIELD POLICE TELL US
PEPPER SPRAY IS USED ONLY IF
NEEDED - AND ACTUALLY HELPS
PREVENT FURTHER INJURY TO THE
OFFICER AND THE SUSPECT IF
THEY'RE RESISTING ARREST.
LIVE IN WARWICK - I'M KAIT WALSH