WATERVILLE — A woman driving with a suspended license and wanted on moving violation warrants was behind the wheel Friday morning when a pickup truck heading north on Front Street sideswiped a utility pole next to the City Hall parking area and then crashed into two vehicles before smashing head-on into another pole, police said.

The 2005 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck Natalie Johansmeier was driving hit Code Enforcement Officer Garth Collins’ 2007 Toyota Camry before knocking City Manager Michael Roy’s 2002 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck out of its parking space, according to police Sgt. Lincoln Ryder, who was at the scene.

Waterville Fire Chief Dave LaFountain looks up at the roof of City Hall to check the public safety communications tower after a pickup truck crashed into utility poles and cars at the building on Friday. Amy Calder/Morning Sentinel

Johansmeier, 33, of Waterville, was arrested by Officer Matt Libby and taken to Kennebec County jail in Augusta after the crash, Ryder said.

“It appears she was fatigued and fell asleep at the wheel,” he said.

At the time of the crash, Johansmeier’s driver’s license was suspended under habitual offender status, a Class C felony, according to Ryder. She also was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of operating after suspension, as well as a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of failure to report a traffic accident, he said.

“During a search of her person and the vehicle, we found marijuana, drug paraphernalia, suboxone and cocaine,” he said.

Johansmeier was charged with civil possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, and was summoned on two counts of unlawful possession of a schedule W drug for the suboxone and cocaine, he said.

The accident occurred around 9:15 a.m. as one-way traffic on Front Street was zooming by the backside of City Hall where Roy and Collins park their vehicles.

City Hall employees, hearing a boom, went out the back door to see what had happened as police and fire officials rushed to the scene.

Roy, the city manager, began inspecting the damage to his vehicle.

“I just had $1,300 worth of work put into it – two new tires,” he said.

A chunk of wood was gouged out of a utility pole that the pickup truck sideswiped before crashing into Roy and Collins’ vehicles.

Collins estimated damage to his car at $5,000 to $6,000. The area is the site of numerous accidents, including one a couple months ago that damaged the city assessor’s car.

Amanda Esler, whose husband is Waterville fire Captain Shawn Esler, was one of the first people to arrive at the accident scene. Esler said she immediately approached the truck driver.

“I just asked her if she was all right,” she said. “She said she was all right but she was worried about her truck. It was still running and I told her to turn it off so it wouldn’t catch fire.”

Roy said city officials had worried about such an accident occurring in that area and possibly knocking out a fiber-optic cable that runs from the tower on top of City Hall to the Police Department on Colby Street and is attached to one of the poles in the parking area, as that could knock out police communications. Friday’s accident apparently did not knock out that cable.

A new tower has been installed outside the Police Department, but the city is awaiting license approval for the tower before police can use it, Roy said.

Ryder said Johansmeier’s cash bail totals $850. Ryder said Johansmeier is scheduled to appear in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta Jan. 25 on the habitual offender and drug charges and Feb. 8 on the warrants, according to Ryder. She is scheduled to appear in Waterville District Court Feb. 16 on the marijuana possession charge, he said.

“She was cooperative and told us what happened,” Ryder said.

He said it did not appear Johansmeier was impaired or under the influence at the time of the accident, despite the fact that police found drugs in her truck.

“Her manner and demeanor did not lead us to believe she was using drugs or alcohol or anything,” he said.

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