Head-on crash in Swansea sends 4 to hospitals; responding officer also involved in accident

SWANSEA — A 28-year-old Providence man was injured after a two-car head-on collision Sunday afternoon on Market Street (Route 136) in front of Johnson’s Roadside Farm Market.

Gabriel Perez was transported by ambulance to Rhode Island Hospital with what police termed life-threatening injuries.

A hospital spokesman, however, said Perez was discharged Sunday afternoon from the emergency room and hospital. He had been listed as stable, spokesman Rich Salit said.

Swansea police summonsed an ambulance from Bristol, Rhode Island, which was in traffic from the collision, to render aid and subsequently transport Perez to the Providence trauma hospital.

The other driver was listed as William Fernandes, 18, of Warren, Rhode Island, who suffered minor injuries.

Fernandes and a female passenger in his car were transported by Swansea rescue to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, police said.

They said Gabriel was headed north on Route 136 line driving a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu and Fernandes was driving south in a 1965 Chevrolet Impala when the accident occurred at approximately 2 p.m.

No details were immediately available on what caused the accident a mile north of the Warren line. It remains under investigation by Sgt. Richard Roussel, supervisor of the department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit.

Both cars sustained moderate front-end damage and were towed from the scene, police said.

They said a second related accident occurred between a police cruiser and another motorist during the course of the investigation.

Officer Eric Thibault was en route to the collision going south on Route 136 when his cruiser collided with a 2004 Nissan operated by Barbara Point of Seekonk, the town media report said.

Point was attempting to turn left onto Stoneyhill Road to go eastbound, turned in front of the cruiser and caused the officer’s vehicle to strike the Nissan in the left front-end fender, police said. Her car struck a small stone wall on the southeast corner of the intersection.

Thibault, transported by Somerset rescue to Charlton Memorial Hospital, was treated and discharged with minor injuries, police said. Point was not injured.

Email Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com or call him at 508-676-2573.