OTISFIELD — A pickup truck crashed through the front door of Bolster Mills General Store late Wednesday night, clearing the coffee station in the back and almost reaching the kitchen, destroying nearly everything in its path.
Zachary Mercier, 31, was tased and arrested at the scene.
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputies spoke with Mercier earlier Wednesday night in The Big Apple Store parking lot on Route 302 in Raymond after reports of a suspicious vehicle, according to a news release by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies “noticed signs of impairment,” and Mercier sped away on Route 121 through Casco and into Otisfield.
Deputies set up spike mats around 11:15 p.m. on Bolster Mills Road in Otisfield. The truck hit the mats, which punctured three tires. It continued make the 90-degree turn and went straight through the store near Crooked River, which separates Otisfield and Harrison.
Store owner John Bisnette didn’t have an estimate for the damage Thursday morning, and it’s not known when, or if, the store will reopen.
“There are so many people it impacts; all the girls who work here, the vendors, this is a small town and a small community,” said Bisnette while he moved large sheets of plywood across the gaping hole where the truck hit.
Law enforcement officers tased Mercier at the store and took him to Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway to be treated for minor injuries. According to the release, Mercier is expected to be charged with failure to submit to arrest, criminal speed, eluding a police officer, operating after suspension, violation of condition of release, as well as two outstanding warrants.
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