Johnston Doctor Arrested On Way To Gym

Unless otherwise noted, information about the following incidents was supplied by the South Kingstown Police Department. An arrest does not indicate a conviction.

John A. Sanacore, 55, of 120 Meadow Tree Farm Road, Saunderstown, was arrested at about 8:04 a.m. on Dec. 24 and charged with driving with a suspended license. Police said Sanacore is a doctor practicing in Johnston.

According to police, an officer familiar with Sanacore from a previous arrest saw him driving near the South County Commons. Police said the officer knew Sanacore’s license was suspended because of a drunken driving charge.

Police said a traffic stop was made on Route 1 near the Oliver Steadman Government Center. When asked why he was driving despite his license being suspended, Sanacore allegedly told police that he was only driving to the gym.

According to police, Sanacore was processed at headquarters and then released at about 9:15 a.m.

At about 12:53 a.m. on Sept. 22, Sanacore was stopped for driving 66 miles per hour on Route 1 near Route 138 and drifting between lanes. Police said that after an officer activated his emergency lights, Sanacore seemed to not notice them until the officer exited his car and yelled at Sanacore to pull over at a red light.

Police said that Sanacore told them he was distracted by a passenger, and said he had had a few beers earlier that night. Police said Sanacore failed field sobriety tests, at which point he was arrested.

According to police, Sanacore consented to breath tests at headquarters. Police said the tests revealed blood alcohol levels of .163 at 1:55 a.m. and .179 at 1:57 a.m.

Police said that during processing, Sanacore was upset and apologetic. He allegedly told them, “I always told myself, if I ever got to this point, I would accept responsibility and do what’s right.”

According to online court records, Sanacore pleaded no contest to drunken driving on Oct. 18. He was ordered to pay a fine, to complete 20 hours of community service and to surrender his license for three months – until Jan. 18, 2013.

Based on an online search, Sanacore specializes in pediatrics, with privileges at Hasbro’s Children Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital. According to a profile on Hasbro’s website, his primary practice is at Atwood Pediatrics. 

Sanacore is an active participant in several local bodybuilding competitions He finished first in his age division at the Pine Tree State Championship Competition, and competes regularly in New England.