Car crash into Fond du Lac Verizon store, man sentenced to probation
Benjamin Ayer
FOND DU LAC, Wis. - 22-year-old Benjamin Ayer was sentenced to probation and conditional jail time after he crashed his vehicle into a Verizon store while under the influence of Delta 9 THC and huffing aerosol in April 2023.
Sentencing
What we know:
Ayer was sentenced on the following charges:
- Count 1 - Injury by Use/Vehicle-Controlled Substance (Guilty Due to No Contest Plea)
- Count 2 - Injury by Intoxicated Use/Vehicle (Dismissed on Prosecutor's Motion)
- Counts 3,4,5,6 - 2nd-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety (Guilty Due to No Contest Plea)
- Counts 7,8,9,10 - 1st-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety (Charges Dismissed but Read In)
- Count 11 - Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Guilty Due to No Contest Plea)
- Count 12 - Possession of THC (Guilty Due to No Contest Plea)
- Count 13 - Cause Injury While Operating Under the Influence (Guilty Due to No Contest Plea)
According to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney's Office, Ayer was sentenced to 11 years of probation with 12 months of conditional jail on count 1, and nine months of conditional jail on count 13.
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The District Attorney’s Office goes on to say that it recommended a sentencing range of 10-13.5 years of initial prison confinement and 10 years of extended supervision. The Department of Corrections Pre-sentence Investigation Report recommended a sentence of 12 years and seven months of initial confinement and six years of extended supervision.
Reaction
What they're saying:
District Attorney Toney issued the following statement on this case:
"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."
Car crashes into Verizon store in Fond du Lac; Oakfield man charged
20-year-old Benjamin Ayer of Oakfield faces multiple charges after crashing his car into a Verizon store and injuring five people.
2023 incident
The backstory:
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney announced on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, that Benjamin Ayer of Oakfield faces multiple charges after crashing his car into a Fond du Lac Verizon store and injuring five people.
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The crash happened on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Preliminary information suggests the vehicle driven by Ayer was northbound on N. Rolling Meadows Drive just north of the Walmart parking lot when the vehicle left the roadway.
Car crashes into Verizon store in Fond du Lac (Credit: Fond du Lac Fire Rescue)
The vehicle traveled about 300 feet off-road through parts of a terrace and parts of the Pet Smart/Dollar Tree parking lot before jumping over the curb of the Verizon parking lot and smashing through the building into Verizon’s showroom.
Officials say the defendant is alleged to have been huffing prior to crashing into the Verizon store. A cannister as well as a marijuana pipe, grinder, and a small amount of marijuana were located in the vehicle.
The Source: Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney sent FOX6 a press release. Court information is available on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.