AUGUSTA — The man struck and killed by a pickup truck Monday night near the west entrance to Memorial Bridge had just left a center serving people in distress where he was a volunteer.
Augusta police on Tuesday identified him as Dana M. Williams, 60, of Augusta. Staff members and attendees at the LINC Wellness & Recovery Center at 38 Memorial Drive said he left at 7 p.m., closing time on weeknights, and was carrying a box of food from there. Williams was part of the LINC center, operated by Motivational Services Inc., which aids individuals experiencing emotional distress such as mental illness, substance abuse, poverty and other challenges.
Meanwhile, the deadly crash has highlighted previous pedestrian safety concerns with the area, including those from a former state legislator who unsuccessfully tried to get a new traffic signal installed.
Police said a number of witnesses to the Monday night crash attempted to aid Williams, who died at the scene as a result of injuries.
His body was taken to the Maine Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta.
“There is still an open investigation as to the details of this crash; and we request that anyone having information related to this crash contact the Augusta Police Department,” Deputy Chief Kevin Lully said in a news release.
Police did not identify the pickup truck driver who struck Williams, nor say whether the driver faces charges.
In an email responding to a request for that information, Lully said, “We are not releasing anything further pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
A Chevrolet Silverado could be seen Monday night with a dent in the middle of the front end, and Maine State Police were assisting with reconstruction.
On Tuesday those gathered at the LINC center said Williams volunteered there, was very active and well-liked, and generally arrived there on foot.
Several people stood at a large window and pointed to an area on Memorial Drive near a cross walk and said that was where the crash occurred.
They said they had a number of concerns about the danger of crossing the busy street there, saying it was too dark at night despite street lights. They also said that drivers heading to and from the bridge occasionally skirted past other stopped vehicles, not realizing that they had halted to allow pedestrians to cross.
Corey Wilson, an at-large city councilor in Augusta and former state representative to the Augusta area, was particularly upset about the crash.
“When I was in the 126th Legislature, I put in a bill to put in blinking lights for pedestrian safety and move the crosswalks away from Memorial Circle,” he said Tuesday. “The DOT shot down my bill, saying it’s not good policy to legislate traffic changes.”
Wilson said a legislative committee quashed the bill on the grounds that the Department of Transportation agreed to look into it.
“Here we are talking years later, and people are still getting hit,” he added, asking, “What have they done for pedestrian safety right in that general area?”
Williams’s daughter and other family members, who are from Massachusetts, came to the center Tuesday afternoon. While she declined to speak to a reporter directly, she asked the staff member to say that she hopes the driver gets what he deserves.
Williams’s own Facebook page identifies him as “Dana M. Williams Sr.” and says he is from Fall River, Massachusetts.
Those at the LINC Center said Williams’s photo there shows a birthmark on the left side of his face.
Bill Hutchins, who works parttime at LINC said, Williams formerly worked for Clean Sweep, which is also operated by Motivational Services Inc.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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