Maine Injury Lawyer Blog
As reported in the Kennebec Journal on December 9, 2010
AUGUSTA — A man was killed by a garbage truck early Wednesday morning on Sewall Street.
Augusta police Sgt. Mark Desjardin said Gary Astbury, 57, who lived on Sewall Street, died when he was struck by a Riverside Disposal truck. The call came in at 6:50 a.m., he said.
“We’re still trying to investigate whether he was crossing or walking in the roadway,” Desjardin said Wednesday.
Desjardin said the truck, driven by Timothy Toman, 56, of Augusta, was facing north on Sewall Street and backed over Astbury. Astbury — who wound up underneath the truck, Desjardin said — died at the scene.
Desjardin said there were not a lot of witnesses to the early-morning accident. “We’re trying to figure out exactly what happened,” he said. “We’re trying to be as detailed and thorough as possible.”
The accident occurred near St. Michael School. Wednesday morning police were at the scene reconstructing the accident. Sewall Street was closed off to traffic.
Desjardin said no charges have been filed in the accident.
Maine State Police commercial vehicle enforcement units were at the scene along with Augusta police.
Based on this report, it is evident that further investigation of this accident will be necessary to determine who was at fault for this accident. 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. It appears the truck was privately owned and operated, however, determining any connection to a municipality will be critical in order to avoid missing the 180 day Maine Tort Claims Act deadline for filing a notice of claim. 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.