A Madison man is facing charges in connection with the death of a Waterville man while the two were drag racing on Augusta Road in Winslow last month, police said.
Nicholas Smith, 36, of Madison, was arrested Wednesday at a friend’s home in Madison on charges of Class B causing death while license was suspended and Class D false report.
The crash Aug. 12 killed Gabriel Stuart, 52, after his Chevrolet Impala went off the road and hit trees. A 29-year-old woman and an infant in the car received non-life threatening injuries.
Winslow Police Chief Shawn O’Leary said the two men were friends and were drag racing on Augusta Road when the crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. Alcohol and road rage were not factors.
O’Leary would not say exactly how fast the men were driving, but said the speed was “very excessive” when Stuart crashed.
Smith was operating another vehicle at the time of the crash. He told police there was a third vehicle involved that had pushed Stuart off the road, though that report turned out to be false.
Stuart, a newspaper carrier for the Morning Sentinel, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rescue workers were able to extract the woman and infant from the car and they were taken to Thayer Center for Health in Waterville.
Smith is being held at the Kennebec County Jail on $5,000 cash bail and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 10.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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