SOUTH PORTLAND — A 44-year-old Cape Elizabeth woman was charged with three felonies in connection with an accident that injured a police officer early on the morning of Dec. 12.

Lisa Cioe was charged with operating under the influence at the scene of the Saturday-morning accident. On Monday, Dec. 14, she was additionally charged with aggravated assault and two counts of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

Police Chief Edward Googins said in a press conference Monday that Cioe had allegedly been drinking at the Griffin Club in Knightville prior to the accident, which occurred at about 1:35 a.m.

Googins said a bar employee, who was not identified, tried to convince Cioe not to drive, called a taxi for her and threatened to call police.

“The employee did pretty much everything he could do to prevent her from driving, except perhaps for physically grabbing onto her,” Googins said.

When asked if the bar would be cited for over-serving, Googins said the case is still under investigation.

Shortly after leaving the Griffin Club, Cioe allegedly rear-ended a police cruiser, which was pulled over to the side of the road with its lights flashing.

Googins said Officers Jeff Levesque and Seth Page had pulled over a vehicle near Broadway and Clemons Street on the suspicion of drunk driving. Another police officer arrived in a second cruiser, which was parked behind Page’s.

Page had just finished field sobriety tests on the driver and was in the process of putting the driver in the police cruiser, the chief said, when Cioe’s 2001 Kia sports utility vehicle struck the rear cruiser and pushed it into the first cruiser. Page was ejected.

Googins said Page was treated at a hospital for a leg injury and was released, but probably won’t return to work until early next week. Although there were no property damage estimates, one cruiser sustained significant damage, he said.

“The emergency lights were on so there was no reason for this to occur,” Googins said. “We’re very fortunate no one was killed in this crash.”

Levesque and the person being taken into custody for OUI were evaluated at the scene. Cioe and a passenger in her vehicle were treated for minor injuries at the hospital and released.

Googins said police do not know what Cioe’s blood alcohol content was at the time of the crash. Police took a blood sample at the hospital, he said, but have not yet received the lab results.

Cioe posted $250 bail and was released with strict conditions. 

“She can’t even possess car keys,” Detective Sgt. Steven Webster said.

Randy Billings can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 100 or rbillings@theforecaster.net

 

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A South Portland police officer was injured and a cruiser received significant damage when it was struck from behind early Saturday morning, Dec. 12, by an alleged drunken driver.

Lisa Cioe, 44, of Cape Elizabeth, has been charged with operating under the influence, aggravated assualt and two counts of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon for allegedly crashing into two parked police cars and injuring an officer on Dec. 12.

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