Driver faces multiple charges including wrong way in downtown construction project

Apr. 12—CUMBERLAND — A man who allegedly drove his car into the downtown construction project was arrested and is in jail, according to police.

On Monday, the city's engineering department received a report of damage to the downtown mall construction site that appeared to have been caused by a vehicle driving through the construction area, Cumberland Police Department Chief Chuck Ternent said Thursday.

The damage was valued at $50.

Police reviewed video footage of the construction area that revealed a 2014 Toyota Cruiser driving through and causing damage at 8:25 p.m. April 5.

"Officers quickly recognized the suspect vehicle as being involved in an incident that occurred shortly after," Ternent said via email.

Officers responded to the 1300 block of Virginia Avenue for a report of a vehicle crash and determined the vehicle, bearing Utah registration, was traveling along Virginia Avenue when it struck a parked car.

The driver of the Toyota, Richard David Potcner, 44, of Cumberland, "then exited his vehicle and walked to a nearby house where he knocked on the door and then attempted to push past the owner to gain entry," Ternent said.

"The owner refused entry and Potcner was still on the scene when officers arrived and was taken into custody," he said. "The vehicle he was driving had disabling damage and was towed from the scene."

Potcner was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, fourth-degree burglary, trespassing, obstructing and hindering, failure to control speed to avoid collision, driving an uninsured vehicle, driving a vehicle without registration and failure to have a vehicle registration.

After he was identified as the driver of the vehicle that caused damage in the downtown construction area, an arrest warrant was issued.

Additional charges against Potcner included knowingly driving an uninsured vehicle, failure to control vehicular speed on a highway, reckless driving, negligent driving, driving the wrong way on a one-way street and failure to report an accident.

At 1:35 a.m. Thursday, officers contacted Potcner at his residence on Polk Street and after a brief struggle took him into custody on the arrest warrant, Ternent said.

He was then charged with resisting arrest and hindering and obstructing.

"Potcner is currently being held in the Allegany County Detention Center," Ternent said.

Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.