Court says passenger can face driving charges in crash

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island’s high court has ruled that a car passenger who grabbed the steering wheel of a car during an argument can face criminal charges after a serious crash.

WPRI-TV reports that Luke Peters is accused of grabbing the steering wheel of a car amid an argument with the driver on a highway in Lincoln in 2014. The driver lost control and the vehicle rolled over, seriously injuring two teenagers in the back seat.

A Superior Court judge had dismissed charges including driving under the influence and assault with a dangerous weapon because Peters was not technically driving.

Prosecutors appealed to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, which announced Tuesday it had vacated that decision and sent the case back to the lower court.