R.I. Gen. Laws
Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-1 (2026)

Driving so as to endanger, resulting in death

✓ current as of July 2026
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(a) When the death of any person ensues as a proximate result of an injury received by the operation of any vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, including violations of § 31-27-22, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of “driving so as to endanger, resulting in death”.

(b) Any person charged with the commission of this offense shall upon conviction be imprisoned for not more than ten (10) years and have his or her license to operate a motor vehicle suspended for no more than five (5) years.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 34 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1965–2024 · leading case: State v. DiStefano, 764 A.2d 1156 (R.I. 2000).
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State v. DiStefano, 764 A.2d 1156 (R.I. 2000). · cites it 41× “However, the incontrovertible truth is that our felony statutes, G.L. 1956 §§ 31-27-1 and 31-27-2.2, do not contain such a statement.”
State v. Amaro, 448 A.2d 1257 (R.I. 1982). · cites it 30× “1956 (1969 Reenactment) § 31-27-1, as amended by P.L. 1978, ch. 208, § 2, the Rhode Island vehicular-homicide statute.”
State v. Bettencourt, 723 A.2d 1101 (R.I. 1999). · cites it 6× “Following his conviction by a Superior Court jury trial on two counts of driving so as to endanger, death resulting (G.L.1956 § 31-27-1), and after sentence and final judgment entered thereon, Jeffrey Betten-court (defendant) appeals to this Court seeking reversal of his…”
State v. Benoit, 650 A.2d 1230 (R.I. 1994). · cites it 12× “The only distinction between the two sections, in this vein, is that under § 31-27-1 (a) the General Assembly has required the additional causal element that the defendant’s operation be reckless.”
State v. Mendes, 210 A.2d 50 (R.I. 1965). · cites it 7× “This is an indictment charging the defendant with driving so as to endanger, death resulting, in violation of G.L. 1956, § 31-27-1. It was tried before a justice of the superior court sitting with a jury and resulted in a verdict of guilty.”
Mattatall v. State, 947 A.2d 896 (R.I. 2008). · cites it 2× “The second conviction was for reckless driving, death resulting, pursuant to G.L. 1956 § 31-27-1. In 1979, the applicant was found guilty by a jury of reckless driving, death resulting; however, the trial justice vacated the jury’s verdict and granted applicant’s motion for a…”
State v. Timms, 505 A.2d 1132 (R.I. 1986). · cites it 4× “1956 (1982 Reenactment) § 31-27-1. 1 The defendant assigns as errors (1) the trial court’s admitting into evidence results of a blood-alcohol test given her at Rhode Island Hospital, (2) the trial court’s admission into evidence of a piece of wire cord seized from the…”
State v. DelBonis, 862 A.2d 760 (R.I. 2004). · cites it 3× “In Amaro , the defendant was charged with operating a motor vehicle to endanger, in violation of § 31-27-1, resulting in the death of an unborn fetus.”
Hassett v. State, 899 A.2d 430 (R.I. 2006). · cites it 3× “2; one count of driving so as to endanger, death resulting, in violation of § 31-27-1; two counts of DUI, resulting in serious bodily injury, in violation of § 31-27-2.”
State v. Bettencourt, 766 A.2d 391 (R.I. 2001). · cites it 4× “The current benchmarks under G.L.1956 § 31-27-1 state that a person convicted under this section with no prior record should receive three to five years.”
State v. Amaral, 285 A.2d 783 (R.I. 1972). · cites it 4× “1956 (1968 Reenactment) §31-27-2, 1 and driving so as to endanger, resulting in death in violation of §31-27-1. 2 The defendant was tried on both charges in the then District Court of the Sixth Judicial District.”
Presley v. Newport Hosp., 365 A.2d 748 (R.I. 1978). “General Laws 1956 (1968 Reenactment) §31-27-1. An Ohio court faced with a similar statute and an identical fact pattern held that the conviction was improper because a viable fetus was not a person within the ambit of the statute.”
Show all 34 citing cases →
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-1(a) — 2 cases
State v. Benoit, 650 A.2d 1230 (R.I. 1994). “The only distinction between the two sections, in this vein, is that under § 31-27-1 (a) the General Assembly has required the additional causal element that the defendant’s operation be reckless.”
State v. Presler, 731 A.2d 699 (R.I. 1999).
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