Benjamin Ayer has been charged in connection with a crash into a store in Fond du Lac. PC: Fox 11 Online
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Benjamin Ayer was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for crashing his vehicle into a mobile phone store shortly after huffing from an electronic air duster.
Ayer, 22, was previously convicted of eight charges for the April 27, 2023, incident at the Verizon store on Rolling Meadows Drive.
He was also placed on probation for 11 years by Judge Andrew Christenson, according to Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney.
“The defendant’s significant history of substance abuse made him a ticking time bomb that went off while he was driving under the influence of marijuana and aerosol that seriously injured and nearly killed victims. Thankfully nobody was killed from the defendant’s dangerous actions. This is another example of the dangers marijuana can present in our communities,” Toney stated.
“BENJAMIN admitted to huffing the ‘Surf Onn’ electronics duster compressed gas cleaner prior to leaving the Culver’s parking lot and operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway. As BENJAMIN was traveling northbound on Rolling Meadows Dr., BENJAMIN lost control of his vehicle and jumped the curb. The vehicle then went straight to the Verizon store and collided with the exterior wall. Inside the store were employees and customers. When the vehicle collided with the wall and pushed the south wall into the building, the wall and counter did collide with the employees and customers inside,” the complaint states.
Six people in the store were injured, including one who was pinned under the vehicle.
“She had a skull fracture avulsion, pelvis fracture, vertebra fracture, fractured bone in right hand, and a scalp hematoma,” according to the complaint.
The other victims suffered a variety of injuries from the incident.
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