No charges will be filed in fatal Aroostook harvest accident
By Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News Staff Writer
BRIDGEWATER — State Police said Thursday that no charges will be filed stemming from an accident that killed an 80-year-old Bridgewater woman last October.
Sgt. Josh Haines said that the death of Dorothy Rusby was a tragic accident, and no criminal charges are facing the driver of the potato truck that struck her.
Rusby had been working in the potato house at Snow Road Farms on Snow Road on Oct. 3 shortly before she was found unresponsive in the yard by her co-workers.
Police said Stephen Holmes, 47, of New Limerick, had arrived at the potato house a short time before to unload his 1994 Freightliner potato truck.
Haines said that investigators believe that Rusby may have slipped and fell into the path of Holmes’ potato truck or Holmes may not have seen her as he pulled out of the potato house after unloading. He struck her, and — unaware of what had happened — drove away, according to Haines.
After the accident at the farm, the state medical examiner’s office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration lodged an investigation.
Trooper Rob Flynn was the primary investigator and was assisted at the scene by Detective Sgt. John Cote, Haines and Troopers Nick Casavant and Dave Coflesky.
