WATERVILLE — A Waterville woman who was arrested Monday after rolling her Jeep over on West River Road and biting both a police officer and state police detective will appear in Waterville District Court March 17.
Jennifer Merry, 33, of 5 Aubrey St., was arrested just after 5:30 p.m. Monday and charged with criminal operating under the influence, assault and refusing to submit to arrest or detention, according to Deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey.
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Rumsey said Tuesday that Officer Dan Brown responded to a report of a single-vehicle rollover on West River Road near the Sidney town line. The caller indicated a witness was trying to help the occupant get out of the vehicle, Rumsey said.
Brown arrived to find a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee off the road, upside down in the ditch and pointing south, according to Rumsey.
State police Detective Robert Burns had arrived and was helping at the scene until Waterville officers arrived, he said. Merry, who was not injured, had emerged from the Jeep before Brown arrived, he said.
“Merry was very uncooperative and interfered with Brown’s attempts to investigate the crash,” Rumsey said.
He said Merry invaded Brown’s space during the investigation and was warned to step back, but refused. She continued to be uncooperative and combative while Brown was trying to take her into custody, according to Rumsey.
“During the struggle, the subject bit Officer Brown’s hand and apparently bit the hand of the state police detective who was on scene, assisting,” Rumsey said.
The bites did not break the skin, he said.
“One of our officers, Tristan Russell, arrived on scene, took custody of Merry and transported her to Inland Hospital for a blood draw,” Rumsey said. “The vehicle was towed by Ace Tire, and after the blood draw was complete, Merry was transported from Inland to Waterville Police Department and processed on the charges.”
She was released on $1,500 unsecured bail, he said, adding that police do not yet have results from the blood test.
“That can take a couple of weeks, I think,” he said.
He said that before the accident, the Jeep had been traveling north toward the city on West River Road. Merry apparently lost control of the vehicle on a straight stretch of road, and the Jeep swerved, rolled and ended up in the ditch, facing in the opposite direction from where she originally had been traveling, according to Rumsey.
He said Brown surmised the insurance company would deem the Jeep destroyed because of roof damage.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
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