FARMINGTON — Tommy Clark was aware he’d hit a person with his car in the early hours of New Year’s Day and went down the embankment where the body lay and “tried to wake her up,” but concluded she was dead and fled the scene, according to police.
Bail was set at $75,000 Monday for Clark, 25, of Industry, who is charged with aggravated criminal operating under the influence in the death of Taylor Gaboury, 21, of East Wilton.
Besides the class B felony OUI count, Clark is charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury or death, also a class B felony.
Gaboury, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was officially identified by the state medical examiner as the victim Monday.
She was walking east on Wilton Road, which is U.S. Route 2, near Franklin Memorial Hospital at about 1:40 a.m. Friday when she was struck.
Clark was taken into custody at the Colonial Valley Motel in Farmington, where he was found by police shortly after the accident. Two women at the scene who said they happened upon Gaboury were found to have been passengers in Clark’s car. Clark’s blood alcohol level was more than the legal limit of .08, according to court documents.
Clark initially admitted to police that he hit an object while driving his Dodge Dart on the Wilton Road Friday morning, according to an affidavit, but said he didn’t know what he had hit.
Clark appeared intoxicated and told officers he and the two women had been at a Farmington bar that evening, leaving the bar to go to the motel around 1 a.m. They told police they left the motel a short time after returning to go look at Christmas decorations in Wilton.
Clark told officers he had his last alcoholic beverage at 11 p.m.
Franklin County Sheriff Deputy Andrew Morgan took Clark to Franklin Memorial Hospital where he underwent a blood alcohol content test, then took him to the police station for a field sobriety test and further questioning.
Clark later admitted to police he was aware he struck a person, according to the affidavit, and after the crash he went down the embankment where her body had come to rest and tried to “‘wake her up,’ though concluded she was dead,” the affidavit said.
He then left the two women who had been passengers at the scene.
Clark told police he left the scene because “he was nervous and needed a lighter,” the affidavit said.
When officers arrived at the scene of a reported hit and run, they found Gaboury unresponsive and not breathing with no identification or cellphone. Police did not know who she was Friday when details of the accident first emerged. She was later tentatively identified by her family.
The two women who had been with Clark were standing by the entrance to Webber Insurance when police arrived at the scene of the accident. They told police they were returning to the Colonial Valley Motel from a party on Livermore Falls Road when they saw a boot in the road, which caught their attention and lead them to discover the body.
After Farmington police Officer Michael Lyman interviewed the women, Morgan gave them a ride back to their hotel.
“During this time Officer Lyman and I discussed the statements provided by (the women),” Farmington police Sgt. Ed Hastings wrote in the affidavit. “Officer Lyman felt the interviews with (the women) were highly suspicious and their statements seemed very questionable. For this reason, Officer Lyman went to the Colonial Valley Motel about two minutes after Deputy Morgan left.”
Police also found a side-view mirror from a maroon car at the accident scene. At the motel Lyman found a maroon 2015 Dodge Dart that was missing the passenger-side mirror. Officers also saw the car had sustained extensive damage to the front passenger’s side headlight and fender as well as a broken windshield.
Clark was sitting in a Dodge Intrepid parked next to the Dart, police said. It was later learned that the Intrepid belonged to one of the women from the scene.
On Monday, Justice Lance Walker set bail conditions to include no use of alcohol, no visiting establishments that primarily serve alcohol, and Clark is to have no contact with the two women.
Clark is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 26.
Hastings said Saturday Facebook discussions monitored by police indicated that Gaboury had been walking from Wilton to Farmington when she was killed. A GoFundMe page has been set up to pay for her funeral.
“Her loss has devastated our whole family,” said cousin Jamie Medrano on the GoFundMe site. “She was the sweetest, beautiful, most caring girl you could ever meet.
“Her parents and brother, as you can imagine, are completely devastated. No parent should ever have to bury their child.”
The site was closed Monday after raising more than $14,000 from 287 people.
“I know that this will be a huge financial relief for my family,” Medrano posted on Facebook Monday. “I want to thank you all again and say how wonderful each and every one of you are. Family, friends, and even strangers all came together to help during this devastating time.
“It’s very heartwarming to see and I know Taylor would be proud.”
Keith Howard, a casket maker in Wilton, called the Morning Sentinel Saturday offering to donate a casket to the family.
Gaboury went to Mt. Blue High School and was employed by Barclay’s in Wilton, according to her obituary.
A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Farmington Baptist Church, 194 Whittier Road.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
labbate@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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