An officer with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office’s corrections division was killed Sunday night when he crashed his utility terrain vehicle in the Aroostook County town of Westfield.
Sheriff Kevin Joyce confirmed Monday night that 40-year-old Jason Wilmot of Portland worked as a lieutenant in the corrections division. Wilmot is a 22-year veteran of the sheriff’s office.
Jason Wilmot of Portland was killed Sunday night and a passenger from Gorham was injured when their Utility Terrain Vehicle crashed in Westfield. Photo courtesy of Maine Warden Service
“He was a great officer. Tragic loss,” Joyce said in an email.
A passenger on the UTV, 44-year-old Chris Foster of Gorham, was injured. Neither man was wearing a helmet or seat belt.
The Maine Warden Service said in a statement Monday that Wilmot was the driver.
Wilmot was driving a 2022 Can Am Defender XT side-by-side UTV when he lost control on a wooded road and crashed around 10:30 p.m., said Mark Latti, spokesman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Game wardens said the men were driving on a gradual downgrade when the road veered to the right with a low spot in the turn. Wilmot couldn’t negotiate the turn and hit a slight embankment that caused the UTV to tip and strike a tree. Both men were ejected.
Wilmot was pinned under the UTV and died at the scene. Foster suffered head injuries and was transported to Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle.
The crash remains under investigation by the Maine Warden Service. An initial investigation suggested that alcohol might have been a factor in the crash, Latti said. Wardens were assisted at the scene by the Mars Hill Fire Department, Central Aroostook Ambulance and Presque Isle Ambulance.
Unlike an all-terrain vehicle or ATV, commonly used for recreational purposes, a UTV is designed for work. The machines are large and powerful, and able to seat passengers side by side. They are commonly used to haul equipment and supplies in locations that make using a truck impractical or impossible.
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