In trying to explain what had caused the damage to his car, Ernest Chubbuck, 51, told Old Town police Monday that the tire “just fell off,” although pieces of the car’s signal lights imbedded in a telephone pole told police a different story.

The Orono man and his beige Mazda 323 had been the subject of a search by police in Old Town and Orono. They had received a report about 11 a.m. of the car being driven erratically. Another motorist followed the Mazda on Bennoch Road and told police that it was all over the road, passing other vehicles, speeding up and slowing down. The car was last seen on Godfrey Drive.

Officers from both departments searched the area for about 50 minutes, even checking Chubbuck’s home after they traced the car license plate they were given by the other motorist. He was nowhere to be found.

Then at 12:18 p.m., the call came in about an accident on South Main and Willow streets. Arriving at the scene, Old Town police Sgt. Michael Hashey found the elusive Mazda in the middle of Willow Street, its front passenger tire dislocated and front fender and passenger side damaged. Chubbuck was there too, with a bloody nose.

Chubbuck claimed he was making a left turn onto South Main Street when the tire fell off, but Officer Dana Andrews found the signal light pieces that suggested that Chubbuck had driven off the road, struck the telephone pole and ended up in the middle of Willow Street.

Hashey noted that Chubbuck smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet and the motorist admitted to having a few drinks earlier. He was extremely unstable during field sobriety tests, swaying and even falling down during the tests, according to the police report.

Chubbuck was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants and operating a motor vehicle after license revocation.

A report of a man damaging a car in Bangor late Sunday night ended with police arresting Kyle W. Sturdivant, 19, of Hampden on a drunken driving charge.

With the exception of dust being disturbed on windows, no damage was done to the car, according to the police. A crumpled beer can was found on the road nearby. The owner of the car – and former girlfriend to Sturdivant – claimed that Sturdivant beat on her car and she even pointed him out to police when she saw Sturdivant’s SUV still in the area.

“That’s Kyle,” she told Officers Steve Jordan and Edward A. Mercier. The officers got into their cruiser and followed Sturdivant, who was now driving away from them. They caught up with the white Ford Explorer on Patten and Main streets, at the red light.

Sturdivant slid out of the driver’s seat and spoke to police. Jordan could smell the strong odor of alcohol coming from Sturdivant and said that his eyes were glassy, his speech slurred and slow.

Jordan arrested Sturdivant and reported that Sturdivant’s blood-alcohol content registered at 0.17 percent, or more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent on the Intoxilyzer test.

Police charged Sturdivant with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants and with illegal transportation of alcohol by a minor after they seized a 30-pack of beer from the back of Sturdivant’s SUV.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli