The body of a local man was pulled from the Presumpscot River on Thursday morning after the car he was driving left the roadway, went into the river and overturned, police said.

No further details about the person were immediately available. Police are expected to release more information Thursday or Friday after his family has been notified.

It’s not clear when or why the vehicle, a gray Chevy Sonic, crashed into the river. It was first seen Thursday morning near the bridge at the border between Gorham and Windham, and appears to have entered the water from the Gorham side. The river serves as the town boundary line.

“At this point there is no reason to believe there was anybody else in the vehicle other than the driver,” said Gorham Police Chief Dan Jones.

There is a small bend on Mallison Street in Gorham as it approaches the bridge, near the point where the car appears to have left the road from the Gorham side while traveling east.

The vehicle was first reported by an employee of Liberty Bell moving and storage, which rents a converted mill building overlooking the scene.

Advertisement

Liberty Bell branch manager Spencer Marcuse said one of his employees called in the crash around 6:30 a.m. Only the vehicle’s rear bumper was visible by 10 a.m.

Marcuse said it looked like the vehicle missed striking a concrete bollard by a few feet. A gap in the bushes was visible where the car likely plummeted into the water.

At the scene Thursday morning, two divers in red dry suits remained in the water while a heavy-duty crane-style tow truck moved into position to remove the vehicle.

The car was later removed and will be taken to the Gorham Police Department. The man’s body was to be examined by the state Medical Examiner’s Office.

Fire and rescue personnel from Windham and Gorham closed Mallison Street, Mallison Falls Road and Canal Street.

Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:

mbyrne@pressherald.com

Twitter: MattByrnePPH

Comments are not available on this story.

filed under: