An 86-year-old Jefferson man received injuries on his nose and shoulder after his car struck another vehicle on U.S. Route 201 in Hallowell last week, but police still don’t know what caused the crash.
The accident happened on Friday afternoon just south of downtown, where workers were finishing repairs on the Millikens Crossing Bridge and a line of cars was stopped in the southbound lane.
Around 12:42 p.m., a 2012 Chevrolet sedan traveling northbound crossed the centerline and hit a stopped car, Police Chief Eric Nason said last week. The sedan rolled onto its roof, and traffic was delayed for an hour.
The driver of the car, Lincoln Orff of Jefferson, was interviewed by police at MaineGeneral Medical Center. Officers were trying to determine what caused the accident, but Orff told them he didn’t remember, according to Nason.
“As far as his recollection, he is driving north on (Route) 201, then all of a sudden he’s upside down,” Nason said on Monday. “We certainly can’t explain … what transpired with him, because he doesn’t remember. We don’t suspect anything with alcohol or drugs. We will have to code this as ‘unknown’ at this point.”
Orff could have been experiencing medical issues that led to him not remembering the crash, Nason added.
Given what’s currently known, police don’t plan to charge Orff with anything, Nason said.
Two people were in the other car, a 2009 Subaru station wagon, that was struck by Orff’s sedan. The driver, Eden Bergeron, 28, of Monmouth, complained of knee pain after the accident but was not taken to the hospital, Nason said. An adult passenger traveling with Bergeron was not injured.
The accident occurred near the Millikens Crossing Bridge, just south of downtown. Traffic was backed up on U.S. Route 201, which is also Water Street, for about an hour, Nason said.
Charles Eichacker — 621-5642
Twitter: @ceichacker
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story