PARIS — The Oxford County Commission unanimously approved the purchase of an SUV for the Sheriff’s Office on Friday to replace a cruiser demolished this month in Denmark.

On Feb. 6, a police vehicle driven by Deputy Bran Pelton was heading to a call with his emergency lights on when a 2012 Toyota SUV driven by Meghan Ottolini of Cambridge, Massachusetts, drove through an intersection without yielding and struck the rear of the cruiser, Oxford County Chief Deputy James Urquhart said. The impact sent the cruiser into some trees.

There were no injuries, but the county’s 2018 Dodge Charger was destroyed.

With the Chargers no longer available, the county has been shifting to Chevrolet Tahoes. Since the 2021 Tahoes will not be available until August or September, Urquhart asked commissioners to approve the purchase of a 2020 Chevy Tahoe for $39,340.95.

Insurance money from the county Risk Pool will cover about $24,000 of the cost. With the Sheriff’s Office only purchasing five of the six vehicles covered in the current budget, funds remaining in the account will cover the difference, plus other police gear not salvageable from the wrecked cruiser.

Commissioners unanimously signed off on the deal.

Other business in the abbreviated meeting included staffing changes at the Oxford County Jail in Paris.  By unanimous votes, commissioners approved the resignation of Caleb Nottingham as a corrections officer and approved hiring Joey Billings Jr. as a full-time corrections officer and Jarrod Wiswell as a part-time corrections officer.

Commissioners met Friday because their regular meeting Tuesday was canceled due to the storm.

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