BWD official in company car charged with OUI

BREWER – Police arrested the assistant general manager for the Bangor Water District last week, charging him with drunken driving while in a water district vehicle.

Arthur Greg Reed, 41, of Brewer was stopped about 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, in Brewer for what police said was erratic operation of a Ford Taurus which was registered to the Bangor Water District.

Reed initially denied having anything to drink that night, but later said he had had four beers since 4:30 p.m., Brewer police Officer Anthony Pinette said Tuesday.

An open bottle was visible in the center console. When asked whether it was beer, Reed replied, “Absolutely,” Pinette said.

Police said there was one passenger in the car and that they also found four unopened beer bottles in the vehicle.

Reed was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on field sobriety tests, the officer reported. The police took Reed into custody and brought him to the Bangor police station to take an Intoxilyzer test. Reed was “very uncooperative” and ultimately refused to take the Intoxilyzer test, Pinette said.

Failure to submit to such a test means the state can suspend Reed’s license for up to six years, and his refusal is considered admissible in a trial. Should Reed be convicted, the refusal will be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing.

The water district has policies governing use of district vehicles and procedures for violations of the policies, said Andrew E. Sturgeon, chairman of the board of trustees for the Bangor Water District.

The procedures call for the district manager to review any possible violations and if necessary to bring it before the board, Sturgeon said in a prepared statement issued Thursday.

The board of trustees is expected to meet on Dec. 21.

The water district was established as a quasimunicipal corporation separate from the city of Bangor in 1957 and provides public drinking water for Bangor and for portions of six other area communities.