FRYEBURG — A Denmark woman was charged with drunken driving after she crashed her SUV into a 28-ton granite monument at Main and Portland streets, Police Chief Joshua Potvin said in a news release Tuesday.

Dianne Beausoliel, 68, was taken to Bridgton Hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, Potvin said.

According to the release, officers found Beausoliel early Saturday morning in her 2008 Toyota RAV 4 after it struck the John Stevens Monument.

“Witnesses say the vehicle accelerated and swerved into the monument without braking,” Potvin wrote.

Police charged her with operating under the influence and reckless conduct. She is scheduled to appear in Bridgton District Court on Aug. 15.

The monument is stable, but Potvin said the crash “shifted (it) clockwise approximately 3 inches.” He said town officials are obtaining estimates on the amount of damage.

Located in the center of the business district, the monument was built in memory of early settler, John Stevens, who wintered in Fryeburg 1762-1763, according to the Fryeburg Historical Society. Henry Pierce of San Francisco, the great-grandson of Stevens, had it erected in 1902.

It is made of white Hallowell granite, resting upon a base 7 to 8 feet square and 10 feet thick. On the base are four large pieces of granite, three bowls for watering animals and one with a faucet and cup for people. It weighs 28 tons.

In 1972, the monument was accidentally hit by a Merrill Transport tanker truck that slid the icy road. The monument was badly damaged and hauled to Barre, Vermont, for repair. A new base was installed with a curbing to prevent further mishap, according to the society.

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