Woman Charged with Failing to Report Johnston Friend's Death

Rhode Island State Police charged a Woonsocket woman with failing to report a Johnston man's death for several hours, taking his car and crashing it into a guardrail in Smithfield before telling police he was dead.

State Police Captain Michael J. Winquist said that at 11:45 am yesterday, a trooper responded to a car crash on Route 44 West. The officer arrested Dawn Utting, 44, with a last known address of 1B Union Street, Woonsocket, for reckless driving and operating with a suspended license — but there was more to her story.

"When the trooper was speaking to her, she referred to a male friend" whose car she was driving, and whom she said had died at his Johnston apartment at about 4 am that morning, Winquist explained.

Troopers went to the Johnston address and found the man dead, with no apparent signs of foul play.

State Police officers charged Utting with failure to report a death, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license.

Utting was arraigned and held at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston for violating terms of probation stemming from a domestic disorderly conduct charge brought by Woonsocket Police.

Winquist said Utting was scheduled for formal arraignment in Third District Court, Warwick, today.

The State Police plan an updated announcement later this afternoon, he added.

JohnstonPatch will update this story as more information becomes available.