Staff Writer
Motorcyclists were on the roads by the hundreds last Saturday and one operator lost his life.
Driving north on U.S. Highway 1 in Littleton on a 2008 CBR600 Honda motorcycle, Justin Tardie, 21-years-old from New Sweden struck a vehicle that had stopped to make a left hand turn onto the Hill Siding Road.
The car driven by 29-year-old Darcie Nash of Hodgdon was stopped waiting for a southbound trailer truck to pass before making the turn.
Tardie was thrown over Nash’s car landing in the roadway. The motorcycle was then struck by the trailer truck, operated by 55-year-old Roger Carter of Monroe, N.C.
Tardie sustained major trauma to the head and legs. He was transported to Houlton Regional Hospital and then flown to Bangor in critical condition by LifeFlight helicopter.
Tardie, who was wearing a helmet died as a result of his injuries on Sunday.
Traffic was limited to one lane for five hours as a team of state police investigators reconstructed the crash. It has been reported that no charges are pending and that alcohol was not a factor in the accident. It has yet to be determined if Tardie was speeding at the time.
Maine State Police Trooper Carmen Lilley is the primary investigating officer. The Houlton Ambulance and fire department also responded to the accident scene.
