Maine State Police say they are looking at speed and improper lane changes as possible contributors to a crash Thursday morning that killed a 30-year-old Saco man.

Michael A. Cantara was driving a four-door Buick LeSabre north on the Maine Turnpike in Saco shortly before 6:30 a.m. when he lost control and skidded on the highway, eventually crashing into a steel speed limit post on the driver’s side front door, said Lt. Erik Baker of state police Troop G. The car then traveled about 20 feet into the woods, he said.

“We’re trying to find out what happened prior to the actual accident, whether speed was involved or whether people were trying to obtain the same lane and maybe didn’t see each other,” Baker said.

On Friday, Cantara was remembered fondly by his family as someone who preferred the outdoors to the inside of a diesel engine, which he was trained to repair. He liked golf, skiing and the Boston Bruins.

Paul Lorrain, his stepfather, described him as “just a great kid, not a mean bone in his body.”

After graduating from Thornton Academy, Cantara attended college in Houston to study diesel mechanics, but when he returned to Maine, he decided engines weren’t for him. Instead, he worked in the family businesses – landscaping and growing winter greens at Sunset Farm Organics and working for Funky Bow Brewery and Beer Co. in Lyman.

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“His heart and his soul really lied with golfing,” Lorrain said.

A couple of months ago, Cantara was promoted to working in the pro shop at Sable Oaks Golf Club in South Portland. He was on his way to work at 6:36 a.m. when the crash happened.

Shortly after the crash, police issued an alert saying they were looking for the driver of a silver BMW that had been in the area of the crash. That driver did make contact with police and provided a statement, Baker said. Baker would not characterize the BMW driver’s version of events, saying the accident remains under investigation.

“There were a couple other people who had changed lanes. We wanted to look and see what his actions were for lane changes as well,” Baker said of the BMW driver. “Now we’re trying to put everything together based on skid marks, accident reconstruction and technical information we can get from the deceased’s vehicle.”

Modern cars have an event data recorder that can tell police how fast a car was going in the moments before a crash and what type of evasive maneuvers might have been taken.

Cantara was driving in the travel lane when he lost control, Baker said. Traffic is usually heavy at that time of day, he said, and there were several witnesses who did stop, he said. Police will check for the use of alcohol or drugs as is required in any serious injury crash, but there is nothing to indicate that was a factor, he said.

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The crash resulted in about a mile-long backup south of the Saco exit at Mile 36, which is where police believe Cantara entered the highway headed for work.

Cantara was the son of Norman Cantara and Alice Dunworth.

There will be visiting hours from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Cote Funeral Home in Saco. Cantara will be wearing his beloved Bruins jersey.

“He was just the life of the party, a big kid, fun to be with and he had lots and lots of friends,” Lorrain said.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@mainetoday.com

Twitter: Mainehenchman


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