Man Charged After Vehicle Crashes Into Sprague’s Nursery In Bangor

Manager Melissa Higgins had just gone upstairs to grab a sweatshirt before heading out to plant some fall bulbs out in the garden when she heard the familiar sound of shattering glass.

"The bookkeeper looked at me and said 'What was that?' And I said 'No, oh it's not even possible...It just couldn't have happened twice.' And the girl who hollered to me on the radio, who had said during the first accident 'Melissa, come downstairs immediately!' said the same exact thing this time. And I looked at Tracy, my bookkeeper, with who I share an office with and I said 'You've got to be kidding me!' and I ran downstairs and sure enough...another car!"

For the second time in six months, a vehicle has crashed into the black metal fence surrounding the outdoor section of Sprague's Nursery in Bangor.

In late May of 2021, the Bangor Daily News reported that two people were sent to the hospital with injuries they sustained when a car drove through a similar section of fencing:

"The driver of the vehicle accidentally stepped on the gas while still being in drive instead of going into reverse..."

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The latest crash happened before 3 PM Thursday afternoon.

Bangor Police Department Sgt. Wade Betters said the 33-year-old driver from Baileyville was driving by himself, heading outbound on Union Street, when he crossed into the oncoming lane then left the roadway and clipped the retaining wall and fence on the corner Sprague's Nursery closest to Union Street.

He was later taken to a local medical care facility for evaluation where officers then charged him with OUI and two counts of violating conditions of release.

Higgins says thankfully no one in the nursery or parking lot was injured this time around.

The section of the fence that was hit this time was down closer to the road. In fact,

"He left the road...and took the whole wall out and the fence and everything else like that."

Higgins said Sprague's hasn't even had the first section of the fence from this summer's crash fixed yet because all of the fence companies are so busy and far behind. So now they have two sections of fence they have to repair and an entire stone wall.

She said she's not sure what's going on, but that something similar to this year's crashes happened last year, too.

"This is the third vehicle that has driven up over our retaining wall and into and through the fence. I just don't know...I guess at this point we need Jersey barriers or some cement posts put out there. It's pretty unreal."

Higgins says while the repairs will likely be expensive, the fact that folks have been reaching out and sending well-wishes means a lot.

"I saw so many pictures on social media last night, of people who must have passed by and taken pictures saying 'Sprague's needs a little crystal and sage over there today!' and I couldn't agree with that more! If anyone has any positive ju-ju, we'll take it, especially for our staff."