Auto Accidents

November 8, 2009

Shane Everett, 14, hit by drunk driver on Hunter Road

November 4, 2009: Shane Everett was walking on Hunter Road when he was hit by John Fortier of Lewiston. Mr. Fortier has been charged with OUI. The boy was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he remained in critical condition late Thursday night, a nursing supervisor said.

At Peter Thompson & Associates, our personal injury law specialists and private investigators have handled similar cases. In this case, it is likely that the driver will claim that, despite his level of intoxication, he could not have avoided the collision with the boy because of the lighting conditions and the color of the boy’s clothes. It will be necessary, as in past cases we have handled, to establish that the delayed reaction time by the driver due to his intoxication was the cause of the accident. Our legal team has employed experts in the effects of intoxication on reaction time and have successfully established that accidents could have easily been avoided but for the driver’s impaired reaction time. We have also conducted simulations under near-idential conditions to show how even small fractions of time can mean the difference between whether it was possible to avoid hitting a pedestrian walking along the side of the road. These simulations have involved, among other things, placing a video camera in a vehicle operating in the same direction as the drunk driver at the lawful speed and having someone walk along the same side of the road in the same type of clothes that our client was wearing at the time of the collision. This type of visual information is extremely persuasive in establishing that the collision could have been avoided.

We also look at whether the driver of vehicle was operating his vehicle above the speed limit. It is possible by looking at scuff marks in the road in relation to where the pedestrian ultimately landed and other physical evidence at the accident scene, including any damage to the vehicle, to determine the speed of the vehicle immediately prior to the collision. Witness statements, if any, are also critical to determining the cause of the accident. It is critical in a case such as this that the matter be investigated as soon as possible to prevent physical evidence from being lost and to preserve witness recollections.

November 8, 2009

Mother and daughter fatally injured in Auburn crash

by Peter Thompson & Associates

November 7, 2009: Authorities are conducting an investigation in the cause of a crash that killed a mother and daughter in Auburn on Saturday. Police reported that a truck hauling an trailer was traveling eastbound on Minot Avenue when it crossed the center line and stuck a 2003 Oldsmobile that was traveling westbound. The operator of the Oldsmobile, a 36-year-old woman from Auburn was killed instantly. Her 4-year-old daughter later died at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewsiton. The operator of the truck, a 43-year-old man from Norway and a passenger from each vehicle were in critical condition at CMMC Saturday night.

Police did not immediately release any names. The cause of the crash was still under investigation late Saturday.

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.

October 28, 2009

Augusta man seriously injured when hit in crosswalk in Augusta

by Peter Thompson & Associates

October 19, 2009: Andrew Jones, 19, was crossing to the west side of Bangor Street in a crosswalk, when he was struck by a sedan-style vehicle driven by Wendy Peace, 41, of Fairfield. This accident is being investigated by Peter Thompson & Associates. If you have information about this accident, please contact Attorney Peter Thompson at 1-800-804-2004.

October 28, 2009

Thomaston crash leaves 3 Rockland residents injured

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Timothy Benner, 42, of Rockland was driving his 1998 Mercedes Benz west on Route 1 when his vehicle collided with a 1995 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by David Cowan, 55, of Rockland.

Both drivers and a passenger in Benner’s car, Donna Cox, 32, of Rockland, were injured in the collision. The cause of the accident is being investigated. Anyone with additional information about the accident should contact Attorney Peter Thompson at 1-800-804-2004.

October 28, 2009

Head-on collision on Route 15 in Brooklin leaves 5 injured

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Diana Dowse, 59, of Brooklin was headed south on Route 175 about a mile south of the High Street intersection at about 4:25 p.m. when her vehicle collided head-on with a pickup truck operated by Timothy Sawyer, 42, of Brooklin.

Dowse was taken by ambulance to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth.

Sawyer and three passengers in his vehicle, Caleb, Timothy and Ethan Sawyer were taken to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital for treatment.

October 10, 2009

Wade Foster, 35, arrested in connection with fatal collision with motorcyclist

by Peter Thompson & Associates

October 5, 2009:sA 25-year-old Lisbon motorcyclist has died as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle on Route 125 in Bowdoin. Wade Foster, 35, of Lewiston, reportedly turned his 1995 Chrysler Concord left in front of a motorcycle driven by Richard Paraskevakos, 25, of Lisbon, at approximately 6:45 p.m., according to a release from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department. Paraskevakos was flown to Central Maine Medical Center by helicopter, but was later pronounced dead.

According to the Bureau of Motor Vehicle records, Foster is a habitual offender with a previous OUI conviction in 1999. Monday’s crash is being reconstructed by the Brunswick Police Department and investigated by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department.

October 10, 2009

Caribou teenager charged in 3-car accident in Presque Isle

by Peter Thompson & Associates

October 4, 2009:sA three-car accident on Route 1 led to charges against a 17-year-old driver from Caribou. Presque Isle police Sgt. Mark Barnes said the juvenile, whose name was not released because of his age, was driving a 1999 Pontiac just after 9 p.m. Sunday in the city when he passed another car, then slammed on his brakes in the middle of the road. There was no vehicle, animal or other obstruction in front of him, Barnes said. “He stopped suddenly, without any reason.”

The driver of the car behind the boy slammed on his brakes but could not avoid striking the back of the Pontiac. That car then was hit from behind by another vehicle.

The juvenile, who had a passenger in the vehicle, immediately left the scene.

October 10, 2009

Hit and run accident in Lincolnville leads to arrest

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Tiffeny L. Green, 35, of Martin Corner Road was arrested at the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday night. Green was charged with leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident, among other things. Waldo County Chief Deputy Robert Keating said Green admitted to Deputy James Greeley that she knew she struck something with her vehicle but thought it was a mailbox.

Andrew Widdecomb, 17, of Lincolnville was hit by Green’s vehicle as he walked along Heal Road with his girlfriend at 6:25 p.m. Monday. Widdecomb was taken by ambulance to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport. A passenger-side mirror broke away from Green’s vehicle when it struck Widdecomb.

September 22, 2009

Update: Three vehicle crash in Littleton

by Peter Thompson & Associates

A spokeswoman for Eastern Maine Medical Center said James Westerdahl, 75, of Littleton died Friday afternoon.

He was southbound in his 1999 GMC truck about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday when reportedly a tire blew out on the extended cab vehicle.

Westerdahl lost control and swerved into the northbound lane, directly into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer truck driven by James Sprague, 57, of Nobleboro.

September 22, 2009

September 20, 2009: Portland crash kills 18 year old passenger

by Peter Thompson & Associates

The crash happened in Portland around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Police say a Ford Mustang driven by 21-year-old Yannick Mulongo of Portland crossed the center line on a street, hitting a Chevy Impala and several utility poles.

Police say the 18-year-old killed was a passenger in the car driven by Mulongo. His name is not being released until next of kin can be notified.

The Impala was driven by 31-year-old Fartun Aden of Portland.