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While fleeing from a traffic stop by a Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Deputy, a Woolwich man lost control of his truck, crashed into a tree and was ejected on Route 127 in Woolwich late Tuesday night. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAGADAHOC COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
While fleeing from a traffic stop by a Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Deputy, a Woolwich man lost control of his truck, crashed into a tree and was ejected on Route 127 in Woolwich late Tuesday night. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAGADAHOC COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
WOOLWICH

The Sagadahoc County Sheriff ’s Department reports that a man who was driving erraticly and sped away from a deputy during a traffic stop then crashed into a tree on Route 127 and was ejected from his pickup truck.

Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick was on patrol on Route 1in Woolwich near the Sagdahoc Bridge at 11:16 p.m. when he came upon a grey 2002 Dodge Ram truck heading northbound on Route 1, and speeding. Fitzpatrick activated his emergency lights and siren and tried to pull the truck over.

“The driver of the truck refused to stop and turned left onto Route 127 (Middle Road),” a press release from the sheriff ’s department states. “His operation was erratic as he travelling northerly until reaching the Route 128 (River Road) Intersection whereupon the driver pulled his truck over and stopped for the deputy. The suspect’s vehicle speed during this time frame had been around 50 miles per hour up until the time it stopped.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Robert Mayer was in the area and headed south on Route 127 to assist Fitzpatrick, who had the truck stopped on Route 128.

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Fitzpatrick approached the operator of the truck, Stephen A. Smith, 47, of Woolwich, but as he did so, the truck sped off, turning back onto Middle Road and travelling north. At about half a mile from the Route 127 and Route 128 intersection, Smith lost control of his vehicle, ran off the road and crashed into a tree. He was ejected from the truck.

Fitzpatrick and Mayer administered first aid to Smith until the Woolwich Fire Department and a Bath Rescue unit arrived. Smith was taken to Maine Medical Center by Bath Rescue where he was in satusfactory condition as of about 9 a.m. It appears that he was not wearing a seatbelt.

“At this point in time it is unclear as to why Mr. Smith failed to stop,” the relese states. The crash is being investigated by Trooper Niles Krech of the Maine State Police and reconstructed by Officer Andrew Booth of the Bath Police Department.


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