Reported by Bangor Daily News on September 14, 2010 and September 15, 2010
DEDHAM, Maine — A family of three from Jonesport was killed and an Orono man was injured Tuesday in a two-vehicle crash on U. . Route 1A.
Killed in the accident were Carlos A. Tapia, 34, his wife, Rachelle R. Tapia, 23, and Rachelle Tapia’s 4-year-old daughter, Mackenzie Gray, who was Carlos Tapia’s stepdaughter.
According to police reports, Wayne Turcotte, 24, who is believed to have been the driver of the 1999 Volkswagen car that crashed on Lyford Road. A passenger in the vehicle, Shane Stone, 24, of Orneville, was taken by ambulance to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. He suffered serious head injuries, Emerson said.
Mr. Stone has a potential claim against Mr. Turcotte’s insurance company and may have an additional claim for any underinsured motorist coverage he or a family member has.
This accident is under investigation.
A South Berwick man was indicted Wednesday by the Penobscot County grand jury in the Jan. 30 hit-and-run death of a University of Maine student in Orono.
Garrett Cheney, 22, was indicted on charges of manslaughter, aggravated criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants, leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in serious bodily injury, and criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants.
He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Penobscot Judicial Center on May 20.
Police are looking for the driver of what is believed to be a pick-up truck or SUV that killed Jordyn Bakley, a 20 year-old University of Maine student, in Orono. It is believed that the vehicle that struck Ms. Bakley is a 2003-2007 Chevrolet and has front-end damage resulting from the collision. Anyone with information about this hit-and-run should contact the Orono Police Department.
A second person has now died from injuries stemming from an accident just east of Aurora on Route 9, Friday. Police say Lorraine Rice of Pembroke died instantly. Her husband, Wayn Rice, was flown by lifeflight to Eastern Maine Medical Center, but later died of his injuries.
The SUV, a 2009 GMC Yukon, was driven by Holly Hubley, 45, of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hubley and her passenger, Trevor Graney, 35, also of Halifax, were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Bangor with non-life threatening injuries.
State Police say the Rices were in their 2002 Kia when it crossed the center line on a curve, and was struck on the passenger side by the SUV.
Maine police say icy road conditions and speed are the likely factors in a two-car crash east of Aurora that killed a woman and critically injured her husband.
Police are investigating whether 74-year-old Lorraine Rice of Pembroke, the operator of one of the two vehicles involved in the crash, was traveling at a speed unsafe for the slippery conditions.
The driver and a passenger in the other vehicle were injured and taken to a local hospital.
A China man has died after suffering severe injuries when he was struck by a plow truck on Sunday. Arthur Poulin, 82, suffered serious head injuries in the accident. Poulin was the father of retired Maine State Police Colonel Craig Poulin.
The cause of this accident is under investigation. As personal injury specialists, Peter Thompson & Associates has investigated hundreds of accidents. In almost all cases, the primary and secondary causes of collisions are disputed, resulting in the need for a comprehensive accident reconstruction. While police will often conduct an accident reconstruction, we find it frequently necessary to conduct more detailed investigations of accident scenes to determine who was at fault. Because important evidence that will be necessary to provide the most accurate investigation is often lost as time passes, it is critical that a comprehensive accident reconstruction occur as soon as possible and that all witnesses to the accident are interviewed to preserve their recollections.
December 30, 2009: 63-year-old David Warren was killed Wednesday when the PT Cruiser he was driving collided with a van driven by 50-year-old Robert Simocko on River Road in Standish. Simocko was rushed to Maine Medical Center, where he is listed in fair condition.
In this type of serious case, it is critical to conduct an accident reconstruction as soon as possible to preserve necessary evidence. For example, one of the best ways to determine whether speed was a factor in the accident is to examine and measure skid marks. Skid marks become markedly less visible as time passes, particularly if snow falls and the road is plowed. In addition, the damage to the vehicle is an excellent indicator of the speed of the vehicle immediately prior to impact, so it will be important to preserve the vehicle. At Peter Thompson & Associates, we have investigated hundreds of serious collisions and had the very best accident reconstructionists in the field determine how and why an accident occurred.
December 24, 2009: Kennebec County police say two cars were involved in an accident on route 27, about a mile north of Christie’s store, near Bog Brook. Police say Jeromiah Baker died in the crash. The driver of the other vehicle, Jessica Bourget complained of leg injuries and was taken to Maine General Memorial Hospital in Augusta.
The cause of this accident is under investigation. As personal injury specialists, Peter Thompson & Associates has investigated hundreds of accidents. In almost all cases, the primary and secondary causes of collisions are disputed, resulting in the need for a comprehensive accident reconstruction. While police will often conduct an accident reconstruction, we find it frequently necessary to conduct more detailed investigations of accident scenes to determine who was at fault. Because important evidence that will be necessary to provide the most accurate investigation is often lost as time passes, it is critical that a comprehensive accident reconstruction occur as soon as possible and that all witnesses to the accident are interviewed to preserve their recollections.
December 18, 2009: The crash occurred shortly before 8:00 PM Thursday along a curve on Route 26. According to police accounts, an SUV driven by 25-year-old Stephen Hulbert of Glen Aubrey turned in front of a car driver by 21-year-old Michael Pisani of Union. Both Hulbert and his 24-year-old wife, Cristin Hulbert were trapped. Ms. Hulbert died at Wilson Hospital. Stephen Hulbert is being treated for his injuries. Mr. Pisani is also being treated for injuries.
At Peter Thompson & Associates, our attorneys and crash scene investigators have investigated many similar accidents. Frequently driver inattention or distraction is the cause. For example, an accident we investigated recently turned out to be due to a driver talking on a cellphone. Although the driver initially claimed that he wasn’t talking on the phone immediately before the accident, we were able to obtain copies of his cellphone records which revealed he lied about that important information. The case was successfully resolved.
Improper speed is also another common factor. Our investigations of accidents generally result in accident reconstructions that look at skid marks, damage to the vehicles, and the distance travelled by the vehicles after the collision to determine the speed of the vehicles immediately prior to impact. We also are able in many cases to obtain data from the vehicles internal computers about speed immediately prior to impact. Witness statements are also crucial information in determining whether excessive speed was a factor in the accident. It is critical that an investigation begin immediately after the accident has occurred in order to preserve physical evidence and obtain statements from witnesses before memories of events fade.
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