Man arrested after crashing friend’s car on dare

An Ellsworth man was arrested in Brewer after he crashed his friend’s car into a wall on a dare in Bangor late Wednesday night.

Although damage to the 1995 Ford Mustang was extensive, 36-year-old Michael Powell managed to drive it away from behind a Main Street bar late Wednesday night and into Brewer, where his luck ran out and he was stopped by police about a minute after the crash.

Powell was charged by Brewer police with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants, operating a motor vehicle after license suspension and violation of conditions of release, while Bangor police charged him with driving to endanger, reckless conduct and a felony charge of criminal mischief.

Bangor police aren’t calling what happened on their side of the Penobscot River an accident, but rather an intentional act that could have implications in who pays for any repairs to the vehicle.

Donald G. Tozier, 34, of Sullivan, a passenger in the car, told police that the incident began while the two men were in the parking lot behind The Tavern. Powell asked whether Tozier or fellow passenger – and the car’s owner – Ronald Lemoine, 45, of Swans Island would be scared if he crashed into the wall ahead of them.

“No, but go ahead, I dare you,” Tozier said he replied.

Powell took Tozier up on his dare. The impact left extensive damage to the Mustang’s front end, hood, quarter panels and side doors, and buckled the rear quarter panel on the driver’s side, according to Bangor police Officer James Dearing. The officer estimated that the damage to the car could exceed $10,000.

Two taxi drivers tried to prevent Powell from leaving the parking lot, but the Ellsworth man drove around them, with a smile on his face, according to the police report.

Brewer police were alerted to be on the lookout for the car and Officer David Lord spotted it on North Main Street with only its parking lights on.

Stopped at the Irving Mainway convenience store, Powell was uncooperative with police, swearing at them and refusing to take field sobriety tests, according to reports.

Dearing went to Brewer to compare the debris left at the wall to the Mustang. They matched. The Bangor police officer said the men who had been in the car had a cheery disposition, although Lemoine’s jovial demeanor apparently soured soon after learning that police weren’t considering the incident an accident and that likely he would have to seek compensation from Powell through the court system.