A man is facing felony DWI charges after a crash with a marked police car in Auburn sent an officer to the hospital.
The crash happened around 3:49 p.m. on September 13 at the intersection of North Street and Seymour Street, according to the Auburn Police Department.
Police say a marked patrol vehicle was heading southbound on North Street in the outer lane when a civilian driver — 37-year-old Michael P. Nielens — made a left turn in front of it from the opposite direction, causing a collision. Both vehicles deployed airbags, and the officer was later taken to Auburn Community Hospital for evaluation.
After the crash, Nielens reportedly walked away from the scene despite being told to stay. Officers stopped him and noted signs of impairment, including the smell of alcohol. Beer and vodka were found inside his vehicle.
Nielens failed field sobriety tests and refused to take an alcohol sensor test, both at the scene and later at police headquarters. He also has a prior DWI conviction, which upgrades the current DWI charge to a felony.
He was charged with:
- Driving While Intoxicated (Prior Conviction), Class E Felony
- Open Container (Alcohol), Infraction
- Unlicensed Operator, Infraction
- Failure to Yield Right of Way, Infraction
Nielens was processed at Auburn Police Headquarters. The investigation is ongoing.
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