TOPSHAM — A
Topsham man who runs a tow truck service was injured Monday morning
after the police cruiser he was unloading from a flatbed truck ran over
him.

The
truck operator, Stanley Williams, 53, of Anytime Wrecker Service in
Topsham, was transported to Maine Medical Center following the incident,
which was reported at around 10 a.m. Williams was still being evaluated
in the emergency room this afternoon, according to a hospital
spokesperson.

According
to Sgt. Fred Dunn, the cruiser had a mechanical problem and was towed
by Anytime Wrecker Service to Mailly Motors at 62 Tedford Road. 

Topsham
officer Troy Garrison witnessed the incident but was unable to do
anything but watch it unfold. He said the cruiser door was open and
Williams, who was on the ramp with the car, reached in to put it in
reverse, and the car took off as Williams was holding the steering
wheel, dragging him down the ramp. The front tire caught his front leg
and pulled him off the steering wheel, Garrison said. The tire ran over
Williams from around the right hip area to the left shoulder.

William’s
brother, Ralph Williams, said that his niece, Cindy Williams of
Topsham, was working with her father, Stanley Williams, on Monday. Cindy
had checked on her dad, who said he was all set, but as she walked
around the truck the accident happened.

Ralph
Williams said when the truck flatbed is down low to the ground, his
brother often rolls the car off gradually to avoid damaging the bottom
of the car. This time, it must have slipped his mind that the safety
chain was off, Ralph Williams said. He said his brother likely had aimed
to put the car into neutral and tried to hold the cruiser in place when
is started rolling, but it dragged him down under the car instead and
rolled over him. Ralph believes Stanley’s weak leg likely gave out on
him.

The
family had received several phone calls from people who heard about it
on the scanner and wanted to check on Stanley and wish the family well,
Ralph Williams said.

As
he was leaving the hospital around 3:30 p.m. Monday, Ralph Williams
said his brother sustained broken ribs and bad bruising, but had no
apparent internal injuries or head injuries. 

Ralph Williams said his brother had open heart surgery in March 2011 and had just gone back to work a few months ago. 

Ralph
Williams said he and Cindy Williams were headed home to inform
customers who have already been calling about what had happened, and
“try to take care of (the business) as best we can until he can come
back.” 

They will work on contracting with a replacement driver.

The cruiser sustained very minor damage when the open cruiser door scraped against another truck.

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