Witnesses told police a car crossed two lanes of traffic on Summer Street in Bangor on Wednesday and, as it swerved to avoid a brick wall, struck a nearby car.

The driver, Ronald Ouellette, 33, of LaGrange, told police he had “hit a dirt pile” and then struck the other motorist, although officers suspected he was driving under the influence. Ouellette was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants.

The accident occurred about 4:35 p.m. after Ouellette left a parking lot at Prexar Inc., crossed both lanes on Summer Street and headed directly for a brick wall. He made a quick, evasive maneuver, swerving onto Cedar Street where an 81-year-old woman was stopped in her car, waiting for traffic to clear, according to police reports.

Bangor police Officer James Dearing spoke to Ouellette. He reported that the motorist’s speech was slurred, that he was unsteady on his feet and that his eyes were red, glassy and droopy. The officer smelled no alcohol coming from the man’s mouth. Later an Intoxilyzer test failed to register a measurable amount of alcohol.

Dearing suspected that Ouellette was impaired by drugs. The officer reported that during field sobriety tests, Ouellette nearly fell over – including twice when Dearing had to catch him – and that he was weaving and swaying. Ouellette attributed some of his stability problems to the wind, which Dearing described as being a slight breeze.

Similar tests were performed later by Officer Steve Jordan, a drug recognition expert, with similar results. Jordan reported he was of the opinion Ouellette was under the influence of central nervous system depressants and was unable to drive a motor vehicle safely.

Ouellette said he was a recovering OxyContin addict and had taken a prescription Xanax pill about 7:30 p.m.

A Brewer woman said she was assaulted repeatedly over several days by her boyfriend, whom Brewer police arrested Wednesday when they were called to a South Main Street residence.

Donald Dwyer, 49, faces charges of assault, obstructing the report of a crime and violation of bail conditions. Dwyer had been arrested previously and been told not to return to 209 South Main St.

But Wednesday morning, Brewer police received a report of domestic assault at that residence, although the caller quickly hung up.

Brewer Sgt. David Clewley and Officer Roger Hershey reported they arrived at the home and were directed to a bedroom. At first glance, the room appeared empty. A check of the closet found Dwyer, hiding, according to the police report.

Clewley reported he knew Dwyer was prohibited from being there and arrested him on the bail violation. The woman told police Dwyer had been assaulting her since Monday, including grabbing her hair and choking her. The girlfriend said Dwyer had hidden the phone so that she could not call police, which prompted the obstruction charge.

Brewer police went to the Eagles’ Club Wednesday night to summons a man, but ended up arresting him when he refused to cooperate.

Roy Trecartin, 31, of Blue Hill, was charged with failure to submit to arrest and failure to sign a uniform summons and complaint.

Bangor police had asked Brewer police to summons Trecartin on an assault charge stemming from an incident in Bangor. Brewer police had not been able to issue the summons for some time. Wednesday the police department was notified Trecartin was at the Eagles’ Club.

Brewer Cpl. Chris Martin went to the club, found Trecartin and told him about the summons. Trecartin refused several requests by Martin to sign the summons, according to the police report. Martin tried to inform the man that if he didn’t sign the summons, he would be arrested.

Rather than sign it, Trecartin tried to use his access card to open the door that leads to the bar, twice, each time moving away from the officer. Martin reported that he when he tried to arrest Trecartin, the man struggled with him, prompting the officer to grab the man in a bear hug and place him on the floor where he handcuffed him.

Then Trecartin decided to sign the summons, according to the police report, a decision that came too late. Trecartin, instead of returning to the bar with one summons, went to jail with three summonses, one from Bangor and two from Brewer.

– Compiled by NEWS Reporter Doug Kesseli