Editor’s Note: An arrest or summons does not constitute a finding of guilt. An individual charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at criminal proceedings.
HOULTON, Maine — The Maine State Police Troop F barracks in Houlton responded to 103 calls for service during the period of Jan. 1-7, including the following.
Cross Lake — Trooper Desrosier received a complaint of a vehicle on its side on State Route 161, Cross Lake. While responding, he observed a man walking along the roadway and stopped to check on him. The man was in fact the driver of the vehicle. Tr. Desrosier drove him back to the vehicle to investigate the crash. The man appeared to be impaired. Tr. Desrosier conducted field sobriety tests and at the conclusion arrested the man for OUI.
Monticello — Tr. Kilcollins issued a woman a criminal summons for exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 30 mph in Monticello. The woman was driving south on US Highway 1 at 64 mph in a posted 30 mph zone. The woman was cooperative during the stop and did not give a reason for her excessive speeding. The roads had patches of snow and ice and were slippery in that area at the time of the stop.
Merrill — Tr. Adams responded to an accident on Route 212 in the town of Merrill. A tractor trailer had left the roadway and rolled over. The diver was driving too fast for the snow-covered roads. The operator was given a ride to Houlton Regional Hospital to be checked out for a complaint of chest pain and the passenger was given a ride to the hotel in Houlton. Tr. Adams was assisted by the Oakfield Fire Department. The truck was left there due to the dangerous road conditions, and arrangements were to be made to have it removed the next day.
Aroostook County — Early in the afternoon of Jan. 4 and continuing into Jan. 5, the troop saw its worst snowstorm of the season which moved into the area around 12 noon Jan. 4 with blizzard conditions. At various times, roadways were closed or impassable because of weather and crashes, with Rt. 1 in Bridgewater and Rt. 11 in Wallagrass closed for 2 1/2 hours for incidents involving vehicles off the road. The combination of high winds and heavy snow made some roads impassable and travel on other roads very difficult. No major crashes were reported; however, troopers responded to many vehicles were simply stuck in drifts of snow or stuck on hills and unable to move. Troopers responded to 27 calls for service that were related to the weather and road conditions over the two days.
Mars Hill — Tr. Casavant spoke with a local Mars Hill man who reported that another local resident had kicked his car and damaged it. The incident remains under investigation.
Sherman — Tr. Saucier responded to a Sherman business when they reported that the thought they had taken in fake $10 bill. The investigation into the possible counterfeit bill in ongoing.
