Reported in the Bangor Daily News on November 16, 2010
An accident on outer Essex Street claimed the lives of two men Tuesday.
Police say the car they were riding in struck a tree and both victims were ejected from the vehicle.
The victims were identified as Rene Secord, 25, of Orono and Kirk Smith, 22, of Bangor, Bangor police Sgt. Jim Buckley said Tuesday night.
Buckley said that Secord was pronounced dead at the accident scene and that Smith died at Eastern Maine Medical Center. A time of death was not available Tuesday night.
The accident occurred at about 3:45 p.m., when the compact car the two men were traveling in struck a tree, Bangor police Officer John Robinson said at the accident scene, near 1786 Essex St.
Police still were working to determine how the accident happened as of Tuesday night.
Lt. Jeff Millard, who along with Officer James Dearing conducted the accident reconstruction, said late Tuesday night that speed was a factor in the accident. He also said police are exploring whether alcohol played a role.
“We have a pretty good idea what occurred,” he said, though he declined to discuss details until police have completed additional interviews.
Millard said measurements taken at the scene indicate that the car was traveling inbound just before the accident. He said the car spun after it struck a tree and came to a stop in the opposite direction.
Both the front and rear ends of the car appeared to have significant damage. In addition, the roadway where the car crashed was strewn with debris from inside the car.
Police did not disclose who was driving and who the passenger was.
“We think we know who the driver was,” Millard said. He said, however, that that information would not be released until the police had more definitive information.
Within minutes of the crash, police closed the section of Essex Street running between Burleigh Road and Church Road, initially to accommodate emergency medical personnel and later for an accident reconstruction conducted by Lt. Jeff Millard and Officer James Dearing.
The road was reopened at about 8:30 p.m., according to Buckley.
Also participating in the investigation are members of the Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, which is standard procedure, Sgt. Paul Edwards noted in a news release issued shortly after the accident.
Based on this report, it is evident that further investigation of this accident will be necessary to determine who was driving and what caused this crash. As in all cases with a fatality, the Maine State Police will conduct an accident reconstruction. However, further study of the evidence may be necessary. It is important that the investigation take place as soon as possible before potentially critical evidence is destroyed by time. The auto accident specialists at Peter Thompson & Associates have handled thousands of similar claims and recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. We specialize in providing excellent customer service and quick results. For more information, contact Peter Thompson & Associates at 1-800-917-1784 or read more on our website www.Peter-Thompson-Associates.com on our car accident practice page.