MADAWASKA, Maine — The restaurant at the Long Lake Country Club is closed down for several weeks after a car crashed into the clubhouse Sunday, causing extensive damage. While the clubhouse will be closed, the golf course will remain open for play.
Robert Pelletier, 58, who resides on Bai Creus Road in the Madawaska village of St. David, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident in connection with the single-vehicle accident at the Long Lake Country Club in St. David, according to Madawaska Police Chief Carroll Theriault.
Pelletier was driving south on Lake Shore Road sometime around 2 a.m. Sunday in his 2007 Ford Mustang when he apparently left the roadway, struck a culvert and crashed into the northwest corner of the country club, Theriault said.
The car destroyed two of the building’s restrooms and a supporting cornerpost in addition to destroying water pipes, which leaked extensively for hours after the accident.
Pelletier then allegedly fled the scene, leaving the vehicle behind, Theriault said. The accident was reported to Madawaska Police Department at about 6 a.m. Sunday
Pelletier initially claimed his car had been stolen, Theriault said, and reported the theft to the Maine State Police Sunday morning.
He later recanted that statement and confessed to the accident, claiming he had fallen asleep at the wheel.
“He had bruises on his face from the airbag and other injuries consistent with the accident,” Theriault said.
The car sustained around $10,000 in damage, according to Theriault.
Meanwhile, Al Hebert, owner of the Long Lake Country Club, said he is losing money every day his restaurant business is closed and his six employees are out of work for the time being.
“We are shut down for now,” Hebert said. “We have four-wheelers showing up left and right, and we’ve had to cancel reservations and turn people away [because] we can’t reopen with no restrooms.”
Among the events canceled are a popular Halloween party and upcoming auction.
Golfers are still welcome at the nine-hole course, Hebert said, but the restaurant and clubhouse facilities will not be open for use nor is there staff on hand to take tee-time reservations or greens’ fees.
“If someone wants to come play, the course is open and they can play for free,” he said.
Repairs to the building, which houses a restaurant and facilities for the country club’s golf course, will begin as soon as Hebert lines up a carpenter and other contractors, he said, adding the restaurant will probably be closed for the next 90 days.
Hebert said it is too early to estimate the monetary damage to his business.
“We had water running in here for about five hours,” he said. “I don’t even have a guess on how much money we are losing right now, but let’s put it this way, it will be a big number.”
The businessman is choosing to remain optimistic in the wake of the accident.
“I’m not hurt and the gentleman driving only has a few bruises,” Hebert said. “I pay insurance and he pays insurance — such is life. You can’t dwell on the past, you have to look forward.”
The accident remains under investigation by Madawaska police Officer Danielle Levesque.
“Fell asleep” probably means “I was drunk and crashed my car. I didn’t want to get an OUI so I’ll say it was stolen. But maybe they’ll believe me if I just tell them I fell asleep.”
I’m sure the cops will be able to figure it out, especially if he’s had prior DUI convictions.
Exactly my thoughts.
The penalty for leaving the scene of a crash desperately needs to be set higher than the penalty for OUI.
As it is now, all a drunk driver has to do is run away and sober up and then claim they fell asleep or had a “medical event”.
That’s what any lawyer would tell their client. Sad but true.
Sounds like a politician to me. Recant time was all of maybe 6 hours. Hard for him to change his story from stolen car to fell asleep, with all the damage done to his face. He needs community work cleaning up the mess he made.
“Pelletier initially claimed his car had been stolen, Theriault said, and reported the theft to the Maine State Police Sunday morning.
He later recanted that statement and confessed to the accident, claiming he had fallen asleep at the wheel.” Apparently it wasn’t too hard to change his story.
“we can’t reopen with no restrooms”
Rent port-a-potties and charge them to Pelletier.
they still have a lot of water damage that is why. health hazzard if not for that and the corner support he would.
Excellent comment by Al at the end of the article. No blame game there. Good luck, man. I am certain once you re-open you will be successful.
“Pelletier initially claimed his car had been stolen, Theriault said, and reported the theft to the Maine State Police Sunday morning.”
When will Pelletier be charged with making a false report?
I hope that he gets a severe fine and he should have to compensate the 6 people he put out of work due to his “sleepiness” behind the wheel. Funny he was sleepy enough to crash but not sleepy enough to not run away.
it is obvious that in todays society we are more concerned with throwing people under the bus and pointing the finger. My sample poll was taken directly from the comments on this article. Everyone is a cop and detective and certainly without blame…