East Providence child dies after Warwick wreck
Youngster was a passenger in the car driven by city resident Justin Preston, who is charged with DUI
WARWICK — Charges against a city man alleged to have caused a head-on collision in Warwick earlier this week are now likely to include something even more severe than drunk driving after a youngster riding in his vehicle died.
Warwick Police reported Wednesday, March 1, that Jahmeer Valles-Halloway, 8, and also of East Providence, passed away as a result of the injuries he suffered while a passenger in the car of 34-year-old city resident Justin Preston during a collision Sunday, Feb. 26. Mr. Preston is alleged to have crossed over the center line into oncoming traffic, striking a car driving in the opposite direction.
Valles-Halloway, a student at Waddington Elementary School in Riverside, died earlier Wednesday. The boy was one of two youngsters riding in Mr. Preston’s car at the time of the accident. A two-year-old was taken to hospital, treated and released the night of the crash. Mr. Preston and two other adults were also taken to hospital for treatment.
The state’s Attorney General’s office announced Tuesday, Feb. 28, Mr. Preston had been arraigned that day bedside at Rhode Island Hospital.
At the time, he was charged with one count of Driving Under the Influence serious bodily injury, two counts of driving to endanger resulting in injury, and one count of operating on a suspended license.
Bail was set at $100,000 with surety on those charges. He was, however, held without bail for being in violation of bail set in a previous case of operating on a suspended license.
He is next scheduled to be in Kent County District Court on March 14.
