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July 2, 2008

Man reportedly playing 'chicken' is in coma, not dead

PROVIDENCE –– Police say the man who was struck by a car and critically injured Saturday is Edward Powell, 25.

Powell, who may have been playing “chicken” with oncoming traffic, had lived in Woonsocket, according to Lt. James Desmarais.

But he was arrested in Providence for disorderly conduct in March, Desmarais said, and at the time he said he had no permanent address.

Witnesses told firefighters who responded to Sunday’s accident that Powell was trying to “play chicken” with traffic by running in and out of the street in front of vehicles.

The driver of the car that struck Powell, Justin Lopez, 22, said Powell darted in front of his car and that he couldn’t stop in time.

Powell was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and is in a coma with severe head trauma, according to Desmarais. Police took his fingerprints, checked them against a U.S. Department of Justice database, and were able to identify him based on his minor criminal record.

Fire Department officials mistakenly reported Sunday that Powell had died without having regained consciousness.

-- Journal staff writer Gregory Smith

Posted by Brandie M. Jefferson  at 11:57 AM | Permalink

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EMTq | July 2, 2008 3:06 PM link

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