Mystic ― Three years after an alleged drunken driver changed her life forever, Alexandra McDaniel says she was finally becoming comfortable in her own skin again when an Olde Mistick Village store owner threatened the peace she had found.

On Dec. 8, while looking for a Christmas gift for her mother-in-law, the Derby resident who grew up in Groton says she was mocked and thrown out of The Rusty Relic II for trying to shop while using her mobility scooter.

“I just felt crushed because this is the first place that I’ve gone that I felt dehumanized, and I felt like I did something wrong,” she said on Tuesday.

The Amish furniture store, which opened late last year, is owned by Jason Beausoleil and his wife, Jamie who have a larger location in Woodstock.

McDaniel said that, when she entered the store, Jason Beausoleil told her mobility scooters were not allowed in the store. When she asked if she would be allowed in using a wheelchair, he responded “well, that’s different,” and reiterated that she had to leave.

“I’ve been moving forward and making a lot of progress in being OK with who I am right now, and OK with the scooter,” she said, but added she is still very aware of the attention she receives.

“It does not matter where you are; everyone stares at you when you have a wheelchair, or when you have a walker, or when you are using a cane, and so when people make an extra effort to point you out, and you have anxiety, it’s soul crushing,” she continued.

Overcoming the wreck

McDaniel, who was a recreation director for a health care facility, was driving a co-worker home in the very early hours of Dec. 24, 2020, when her car was struck by an alleged drunken driver.

Among her injuries were numerous broken bones, significant nerve damage, blood clots and a degloving injury, which involves ripping the top layers of skin and tissue from the underlying muscle.

Her injuries required weeks in the hospital and months in a rehabilitation facility. When she returned to work in June 2020, she could only manage eight hours a week.

McDaniel said it was a difficult to not only recover physically, but coming to terms with the sudden, drastic change to her life and abilities.

Josie Paradis, a friend who was with McDaniel at Olde Mistick Village, said she found McDaniel crying outside the store after the incident.

Paradis said she confronted Beausoleil, explaining that it was traumatizing for individuals with disabilities as well as illegal.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that public places make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities to allow them the same or equal access that individuals without disabilities have.

“One thing that a place of accommodation cannot do is categorically say we will not allow people using these mobility devices under any circumstances and without consideration of available mitigation measures,” said Sheldon Toubman, litigation attorney for Disability Rights Connecticut, on Wednesday.

McDaniel and Paradis both said there was a sign barring scooters on the non-accessible entrance to the store. On Wednesday, the sign was not on either entrance to the store.

Paradis said that during the incident, Beausoleil laughed at and mocked McDaniel, telling her not to crash and not to knock anything over, as she maneuvered away from his store.

McDaniel said that after the incident, two village security officers asked her and her friends to leave. She said they listened to her but called Stonington police which she said upset her even more.

Deputy Chief Todd Olson said Wednesday that officers quickly determined no crime was committed and left the scene.

When reached by phone on Wednesday, Beausoleil said he was glad to have the opportunity to take responsibility for his actions and apologize.

“I made a bad decision. I want to tell her and her family I’m sorry,” he said, and added, “this had nothing to do with anybody being disabled.”

He attributed his behavior to being overwhelmed by how busy his store was and that shortly before McDaniel came in, another individual with a scooter came in and damaged some of the furniture.

“I was trying to protect my inventory, but I made a mistake,” he said. “If I could take it back … I just want to let her know that I apologize. At the end of the day -- me and my wife -- our customers mean everything to us,” he said, adding that the store would be rearranging its inventory to be more accommodating.

Chris Regan, property manager for Olde Mistick Village, said that he had been in contact with McDaniel, and had given her a $200 gift certificate to use when she returns to the village. He said he wants everyone to feel comfortable regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

“We welcome everybody no matter who they are,” he said. “We want to make it enjoyable for everyone.”

McDaniel said employees in all the other stores she visited were helpful and accommodating, though she was still nervous about returning to the village. She said she has received a lot of support from social media since the incident.

“Despite all the positive feedback, he still made me feel small and like I didn’t deserve to be there, and that was shattering for me,” she said.