Update on charges: On Friday, April 12, Chief Doug Snyder, in an email to the newspaper, wrote “Mr. Bushey (has been charged) with unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, driving to endanger, and failure to stop at stop signs.”

Update: Chief Doug Snyder reported Wednesday: “On April 9, 2024, at approximately 4 p.m., the Boothbay Harbor Police, Boothbay Harbor Fire Department, Boothbay Fire Department, and Boothbay Region EMS, along with Accident Reconstructionist from Knox and Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Department were called to respond to an accident at 1 Townsend Ave., at the Boothbay Region Art Foundation.

“A blue Audi four-door sedan, driven by Benjamin Bushey, 40, of Rockland and Boothbay Harbor was traveling southeast on Oak Street. The witness stated that the vehicle did not stop at the stop sign and continued towards Commercial Street. For an unknown reason, the vehicle failed to turn and continued straight, ultimately striking the building.

“Fortunately, nobody in the building was injured. However, Mr. Bushey was transported by the EMS to the hospital due to back pains and being under
the influence of narcotics. As a precautionary measure, I requested an Accident Reconstructionist to come to the scene. Deputy Jenn Gosselin of the Knox County Sheriff's Department and Detective Brian Carlton of the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Department came and reconstructed the crash. Mr. Bushey was later released from the hospital that evening.

“The investigation is ongoing, and we want to thank all the agencies for their assistance.”

Original post: The front left side of the entrance to the Boothbay Region Art Foundation Gallery was damaged when a car drove into it on Tuesday afternoon, April 9.

“It sounded like a cannon went off,” said Bruce Burnham, organizer of the current show at BRAF’s gallery, Maine Photographers Showcase. Burnham was not at the gallery when the accident happened but he said Wednesday morning that the Foundation board was meeting in the back of the building when the accident happened. He said both windows “popped” and the door frame was damaged. Burnham and others were in the gallery Wednesday cleaning up the broken glass and looking for any further damage.

“None of the photographs on display were damaged,” he said. “It will probably be a couple of weeks before we open again.”

The newspaper will update this article with a report from Boothbay Harbor Police Department.