A Powell driver who drunkenly crashed into another vehicle and through the wall of a liquor store has received a month-long jail sentence.

No one was seriously injured in the March incident, but Cindy A. McCament, 66, caused substantial damage to the Powell Liquor Market. 

At a Friday appearance in Park County Circuit Court, McCament pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving while under the influence of alcohol. It was her third DUI conviction in the last 10 years, with prior offenses in 2016 in Frannie and in 2022 in Powell.

Park County prosecutors and McCament’s defense attorney agreed to recommend 30 days of jail time — the minimum sentence for a third offense — and Circuit Court Judge Joey Darrah accepted the plea deal.

“This has probably been a pretty tough learning experience for you,” Darrah told McCament. “Hopefully we don’t see you again in my courtroom.”

The crash

It was around 5 p.m. on March 13 that McCament, who was traveling north on Day Street, pulled out onto Coulter Avenue in front of a westbound Dodge Dakota. After hitting the Dodge, McCament’s SUV continued north for another block at a high speed before crashing through the west side of the Powell Liquor Market, police have said.

Beyond damaging walls, a pillar and coolers, many bottles and cans were destroyed, with alcohol spilling all across the floor. The store had to temporarily close. Though it reopened fairly quickly, repairs remain pending.

Store owner Bill Bregar told the Tribune in March that he was “just thankful the good Lord was looking out for everybody and nobody got hurt.” Workers had been in that back storage area just minutes before McCament’s SUV came through the wall.

Under oath on Friday, McCament admitted she had consumed alcohol before the crash and was also taking prescribed medication.

“Likely even the alcohol itself would have rendered you incapable of safely operating the motor vehicle,” defense attorney Tim Blatt asked his client on Friday, “but the controlled substance didn’t help any, correct?”

“Correct,” McCament said.

Out on bond

Powell police arrested McCament for DUI following March’s crash. She was released from custody the following day and directed to attend court later. At that initial March 25 hearing, Darrah adopted Deputy County Attorney Larry Eichele’s recommendation and set bail at
$2,500 cash.

“Usually, for a third offense DUI, ... I  can’t justify a $2,500 bond. It needs to be more,” Darrah said then. However, the judge said a requirement that McCament carry a portable device and undergo four random, daily breath tests for alcohol led him to adopt the prosecutor’s recommendation.

She wound up taking over 540 breath tests while on bond and never tested positive for alcohol, Blatt said.

McCament also continued to drive while the case was pending.

Typically, drivers who are arrested for DUI and found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more have their licenses immediately suspended. In this case, however, Blatt said authorities apparently never forwarded the results of McCament’s blood test to the Wyoming Department of Transportation. For that reason, the department never took any action against McCament’s license while the case was pending. However, Friday’s conviction for a third offense will trigger a revocation of her license for the next three years, according to WYDOT rules.

Making payments

McCament’s prior DUIs came in August 2016 in Frannie and in July 2022 in Powell. In the 2022 incident, court records say McCament went off Coulter Avenue and hit a tree. She then crashed her silver Ford Expedition into a city electrical box near Mountain View Street as she attempted to get back onto the highway. Her blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit. 

McCament’s insurer paid the city about $3,570 for the damage to the electrical equipment.

In this case, McCament’s insurer has already paid for the totaled Dodge. However, the company reportedly has yet to cover the $537.69 medical bill that a teen in the vehicle incurred to get checked out at Powell Valley Healthcare’s emergency room. Additionally, the insurer hasn’t paid the Powell Liquor Market’s $5,000 property insurance deductible in connection with the damage. Dave Sauceda, a victim/witness coordinator with the county attorney’s office, noted that the actual cost of repairing the building will be significantly more than the deductible.

If the insurance company doesn’t pay those two bills, Darrah may order McCament to pay them as restitution at a later date. That would be on top of $870 in court charges.

Because she has multiple medical procedures coming up, McCament won’t start her jail sentence until Oct. 13. She spent a night and morning in custody after her arrest, which leaves 28 more days to serve.