FARMINGTON — The Rangeley man accused of drunken driving in connection with Tuesday’s fatal crash in Strong wanted to “show off how fast his truck could go,” a passenger told police.

Mark Garner, 24, is charged with operating under the influence resulting in death, a Class B felony.

Garner was the driver of the GMC pickup truck that collided head-on with a Chevrolet pickup Tuesday night. Both trucks caught fire upon impact. While Garner and his two passengers got out of their vehicle, the unidentified driver of the other pickup was unable to escape and died.

The Office of the State Medical Examiner is awaiting DNA test results to positively identify the victim.

Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols said authorities have contacted the family of the person they believe died in the Chevrolet, which was registered in Wilton.

Garner was released from the Franklin County Jail on Thursday on $15,000 cash bail. He appeared in court Wednesday, when a Franklin County judge set his bail conditions and considered appointing counsel. Garner’s next court appearance has not been scheduled.

Advertisement

The night of the accident, Garner told police that “he drank too much to be driving,” and that “he was driving too fast and lost control of his vehicle,” according to a police affidavit by Franklin County Deputy Andrew Morgan filed with the court.

A passenger in Garner’s vehicle told Morgan said that Garner was driving 80 mph before the crash. Garner told police “he was driving too fast, but did not know his speed,” the affidavit said.

Around 7:46 p.m. Tuesday, Garner was traveling north on Lambert Hill Road, heading toward Phillips, when his vehicle crossed the center line, colliding with the pickup that was heading south.

When Morgan arrived, he said he “met two males and one female who were frantic and running for help,” the affidavit says.

Initial attempts to put out the fire and remove the driver of the Chevrolet were unsuccessful, Morgan said. Once the flames were extinguished, Strong firefighters removed the body from the truck, according to Nichols.

Garner and his two passengers were taken by ambulance to Franklin Memorial Hospital, where the passengers were treated and released Tuesday night.

Advertisement

Garner’s female passenger told Morgan that Garner had been drinking since roughly 5:30 p.m. Garner brought a six-pack of beer to her house, and she went to the store to buy another six-pack after Garner and the male passenger finished the first, she said.

Lauren Abbate can be contacted at 861-9252 or at:

labbate@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.