Tyler Croston, 24, appears via video from the York County Jail during his initial court appearance Wednesday. Croston is charged with aggravated driving under the influence, aggravated driving to endanger and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon. His bail was set at $250,000.
A driver accused of veering off the road and hitting four Maine State Police troopers will remain at the York County Jail unless he posts $250,000 cash bail, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Tyler Croston, 24, of Westbrook, did not have to enter a plea and did not speak during his brief initial court appearance. He appeared remotely from the jail in Alfred and sat silently in his orange jail jumpsuit as District Court Judge Andre Janelle listed the nine charges against him, including aggravated driving under the influence, aggravated driving to endanger and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
Croston is charged with violating two sets of bail conditions from domestic violence charges and was not eligible for bail before his first court appearance.
Troopers Jake Mowry, David Lemieux and Dakota Stewart and trooper recruit Shane St. Pierre were trying to mediate a family disturbance at the intersection of Hollis Road (Route 202) and Star Lane late Sunday night, York County Sheriff William King said Monday.
They were standing near the breakdown lane just before 11:15 p.m. when Croston is accused of hitting them after he swerved a 2017 Subaru WRX off the road, to the right side of the parked cars and into the grassy area.
The troopers were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, King said. Croston was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. He was later released and booked into the York County Jail. His passenger, Amber Gedaro, 27, of Westbrook, was treated at the scene.
Mowry took the “brunt of the crash,” said Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety. He underwent surgery for fractures to his legs and remains in the hospital.
“He’s going to be in there for a while,” Moss said Wednesday.
Lemieux was discharged from the hospital on Monday morning after being treated for fractures to one leg, but returned for surgery on Wednesday, Moss said. St. Pierre remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon with serious but not life-threatening injuries after undergoing surgery on Tuesday.
Stewart, who was treated for several broken bones in his right foot, is recovering at home.
Clockwise from top left: Trooper recruit Shane St. Pierre, 22; and Troopers Dakota Stewart, 33; David Lemieux, 33; and Jake Mowry, 28. Photos courtesy of Maine State Police
Moss called the crash “unprecedented” and said it was lucky the troopers were not more seriously injured. She said the department is thankful for the outpouring of support the troopers have received from the community and other law enforcement agencies.
The judge referenced an affidavit that could include new details about the crash, but the document was not available for a reporter to review at the courthouse Wednesday.
Assistant District Attorney Anne Letourneau-Pazar asked Janelle to set cash bail at $250,000 and institute release conditions that would prohibit Croston from driving or possessing drugs or alcohol. She said Croston’s previous domestic violence charge in Cumberland County involved substance use. However, publicly available Cumberland County court records detailing Croston’s pending charges do not reference illegal substances.
Janelle approved the release conditions after the defense chose not to object.
Croston’s court-appointed attorney, Stephen Shea, did not return a message Wednesday asking to discuss the case and whether his client planned on posting bail.
The charges against Croston carry a maximum sentence of more than 50 years. He is scheduled to return to court for a dispositional conference on Dec. 14.
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