Corinth Woman Charged with OUI After Smashing Police Cruiser

A Corinth woman is facing multiple charges, including operating under the influence of alcohol after a bizarre series of events. She was caught after smashing into a police cruiser at a roadblock.

It all started when police received a report of a vehicle that had struck a pole on Mill Street in Orono and then took off. That was around 11:40 Thursday night.

About 10 minutes later, the State Police received three 911 calls of a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lane of I-95 from Exit 191. The reported description fit the vehicle that was reported to have hit the  pole in Orono.

Trooper Christopher Hashey entered the interstate in the area of Exit 193 and tried to stop the offending vehicle, but the driver, 22-year-old McKenzie Kaphammer from Corinth, took off. Hashey crossed over to the northbound lane and was able to get ahead of the vehicle, which was still traveling north in the southbound lane.

He set up a roadblock, using his cruiser, and a tire deflating device on the southbound lane of I-95 at mile marker 197 in Old Town. When Kaphammer reached the roadblock, she didn't try to brake or avoid the car and ended up hitting it broadside.

At this point, the patrol car caught fire. Hashey was able to pull Kaphammer from her vehicle before putting out the fire under the hood of the cruiser. The woman was transported to EMMC where she was treated and released.

Kaphammer is charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, aggravated criminal mischief, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, and passing a roadblock. In addition, she is also charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident and operating the wrong way on a one way road.