A 31-year-old Tenants Harbor man was killed Tuesday when the SUV he was riding in struck a pickup truck in Bath and he was ejected, Bath police said.
Sheldon Curtis was riding in the front seat of a 2001 Jeep Cherokee when it collided with a 2015 GMC Sierra pickup truck at the southbound on-ramp from Leeman Highway leading to Route 1 and Middle Street. Curtis suffered massive head injuries when he struck a concrete abutment, police said.
The driver of the Cherokee, Travis Robbins, 28, of Rockland, failed to obey a stop sign, made a left turn and was struck by the pickup.
Four people were in the two vehicles at the time of the crash – three in the Cherokee and the driver of the Sierra – and none were wearing seat belts, police said.
All four were transported to area hospitals. Curtis was pronounced dead about an hour after the crash at Maine Medical Center.
A second passenger in the Cherokee, William H. Gerrish, 63, of Old Orchard Beach, was seriously injured.
Bath police are investigating the crash, and no one had been cited or charged as of Wednesday.
“Although it is impossible to say with complete certainty that the use of a seat belt would have saved Mr. Curtis, we believe his chances of survival would have been increased dramatically if he was wearing one,” said Bath Police Lt. Robert Savary. “We can’t stress enough that all motorists (drivers and passengers) should always wear their seat belts. They most definitely save lives and it’s the law.”
Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:
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