Swansea man charged with OUI in serious Swansea Mall Drive crash

SWANSEA — A Swansea man has been arrested and faces multiple charges related to the serious crash on Swansea Mall Drive Thursday, Chief Marc Haslam reports.

On Friday, Timothy Couturier, 53, was charged with: Operating Under the Influence of Liquor (Serious Bodily Injury and Negligent Operation); Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle; Marked Lanes Violation; Failure to Notify RMV of Name/Address Change; Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended License; State Highway – Wrong Way (Vehicle Operation)

On Thursday, Jan. 18, at about 7:54 p.m., crews were dispatched to the scene of a crash near 147 Swansea Mall Drive. According to a preliminary investigation, a vehicle was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Swansea Mall Drive and then struck another vehicle head-on. It was later determined that Couturier was the operator of the wrong-way vehicle.

Swansea firefighters used hydraulic tools to extricate Couturier from his vehicle. He was transported to an area hospital.

Swansea Fire and Police responded to Swansea Mall Drive on Thursday night, Jan. 18, 2024, just before 8 p.m. for a two-car crash involving a wrong-way driver.

The driver of the other vehicle, Tristan Tucker, 20, of Swansea, remains hospitalized. Swansea police officers pulled Tucker from his on-fire car. His condition is unknown.

Couturier was arraigned Friday at his bed at a Providence hospital. He also faces a Fugitive from Justice charge in Rhode Island, as is protocol. He waived extradition to Massachusetts to face charges related to the crash.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Swansea man charged with OUI in Swansea Mall Drive head-on car crash