Ethan Tucker Photo courtesy of Eibhlin O’Rourke
Scarborough police say speed and fog were factors in the early morning crash on Highland Avenue on Thursday that killed a South Portland teenager.
Ethan Tucker, 18, was driving a red 2001 Subaru when it went off the road and struck a tree at 114 Highland Ave. in Scarborough. Police say he was alone in the vehicle and was not wearing a seat belt. He died at the scene.
The single-car crash was reported at 6:15 a.m. Thursday. Scarborough police and a reconstruction team from the Gorham Police Department spent the day investigating and notifying relatives. Police are still investigating the accident.
Scarborough police Detective Sgt. Rick Rouse said Friday a resident on Highland Avenue told police she woke up between 1 and 1:30 a.m. after hearing a loud crash. She looked out the window but didn’t see anything, Rouse said.
The accident report says Tucker was “exceeding the posted speed limit,” which is 25 mph, and “overcorrected or oversteered.”
The impact of the vehicle stripped the bark off a large section of the tree. On Thursday, a roadside memorial was created in Tucker’s honor with several bouquets of flowers. There were pieces of the red Subaru resting at the tree, including a section of the front fender and a long piece of exhaust pipe.
Tucker was remembered on Friday as a kind and thoughtful person.
Eibhlin O’Rourke, 19, of South Portland broke down in tears, saying he was always there when she needed him. She said Tucker gave great hugs.
“He was really giving,” O’Rourke said. “He just wanted his friends to be happy. He always made sure all of us were OK and had what we needed. … He was one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. He was so amazing.”
He was a son of Robin and Laurie Tucker of Sawyer Street in South Portland. His parents declined to be interviewed.
Tucker was a 2019 graduate of South Portland High School.
Sarah Kinder, 21, of South Portland described Tucker in a text message on Friday as a selfless and loving person.
“Ethan had the purest soul and it showed through everything he did,” Kinder said. “No matter what he was going through, he could make you laugh. He loved his friends deeply and never forgot to tell them, … not one single day.”
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