A 32-year-old Bronx, New York man is facing multiple felony charges after a car he was allegedly driving slammed into a stone wall and utility pole in front of Linden Park in Middletown early Thursday, then burst into flames, killing a child under age 3 who was riding in the back seat. Jerry Bonilla was arraigned Thursday afternoon and charged with driving under the influence resulting in death, driving to endanger resulting in death, and related counts tied to the injuries suffered by a front-seat passenger.
A Chase That Was Called Off, Then a Fatal Crash Miles Away
According to a Portsmouth Police Department statement reported by Fall River Reporter, a Portsmouth officer attempted a traffic stop around 1:15 a.m. Thursday after clocking a white sedan going 58 mph in a 45 mph zone on West Main Road near Mill Lane. The officer terminated the pursuit near Union Street, in line with department policy, after the car accelerated to speeds between 80 and 90 mph. Portsmouth authorities then notified Middletown Police that the fleeing vehicle was entering their town.
The vehicle ultimately left the road and crashed near 141 West Main Road in Middletown, roughly 3.4 miles south of where the Portsmouth officer had broken off the chase, per the same outlet's reporting. Middletown Police arrived to find the car fully engulfed in flames, and the Middletown Fire Department worked to extinguish the blaze as officers pulled the driver and front-seat passenger from the wreckage. The child in the back seat could not be freed and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Charges Filed Against the Driver
Middletown Police identified the driver as Bonilla and charged him with driving under the influence of liquor or drugs resulting in death, first offense; driving under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury, first offense; driving to endanger resulting in death; and driving to endanger resulting in personal injury, according to What's Up Newp. He was held on $500,000 surety bail and is being detained at the Adult Correctional Institutions. As with any pending case, the charges against Bonilla remain accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The front-seat passenger and the driver were both taken to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries, the outlet reported. Middletown Police said the investigation remains active, and the Rhode Island State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is assisting with the crash probe.
What Rhode Island Law Says About the Charges
Under Rhode Island General Laws § 31-27-2.2, a first-offense conviction for driving under the influence resulting in death carries a mandatory state prison sentence of 5 to 15 years, a fine between $5,000 and $10,000, and a mandatory five-year driver's license revocation, according to the General Laws of Rhode Island. Separately, driving under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury is a felony punishable by 1 to 10 years in state prison, fines from $1,000 to $5,000, and a license revocation of up to two years for a first offense, per statute cited by FindLaw. The driving-to-endanger charge resulting in death carries a potential prison term of up to 10 years and license suspension of up to five years.
Rhode Island law also sets specific standards for how young children must be secured in vehicles. Under General Laws § 31-22-22, child passengers under age 8 who weigh less than 80 pounds and stand under 57 inches must ride in the rear seat in a federally approved safety seat, and children under age 2 are required to ride in rear-facing restraints, according to the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. The dossier does not indicate whether the child in Thursday's crash was restrained in accordance with that statute.
A Corridor With a History of High-Speed Trouble
West Main Road, also known as Route 114, is one of Aquidneck Island's primary north-south commercial corridors, carrying between 25,000 and 32,000 vehicles a day with posted speed limits generally between 35 and 45 mph, according to Middletown's municipal transportation plan. It is one of two main arterial routes connecting Portsmouth, Middletown, and Newport.
This is not the first time Portsmouth officers have had to break off a dangerous pursuit on that same stretch of roadway. In October 2025, Portsmouth Police terminated a high-speed chase on Route 114 after a suspect fleeing a domestic warrant drove 90 mph into oncoming lanes before crashing into a rock in Portsmouth, Fall River Reporter reported at the time.
Impaired Driving Remains a Persistent Problem Statewide
Alcohol-impaired driving continues to account for a disproportionate share of Rhode Island's traffic deaths. Data published by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation shows 37% of the state's traffic fatalities in 2024 involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, exceeding the national average of 30%, while state law enforcement logged 3,227 DUI arrests in 2025.
Federal Highway Administration and NHTSA data released in April showed Rhode Island traffic deaths fell 29% in 2025, to 37 fatalities from 52 the year before, but National Safety Council data indicates motor vehicle deaths rebounded in the state during the first half of 2026, according to Providence Business News. Middletown Police said their investigation into Thursday's crash remains ongoing.
