Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Logs

Maine State Police and Hancock County Sheriff's Office Press Releases

Jan 23, 2024

BAR HARBOR—The following incidents occurred in Bar Harbor and Mount Desert last week, according to the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert police logs which are publicly released information.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Officer Amie Torrey responded to a burglar alarm at a Bar Harbor business that turned out to be a false alarm.

Officer Shelby O’Neil investigated an unattended death in Bar Harbor.

Claudette Boggs, 80, of Northeast Harbor, was driving a 2018 Toyota RAV4 west on Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor when her vehicle allegedly left the roadway to the right and struck several trees before coming to rest on the shoulder. There was no reported personal injury. The vehicle suffered damage to the passenger’s side quarter panel and side view mirror.

Officer Kaleb Payson assisted the Bar Harbor Fire Department with a suicide attempt in Bar Harbor.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Lt. Kevin Edgecomb responded to a non-reportable car versus deer accident on Route 102 in Town Hill. There was minimal damage to the vehicle and the deer ran off.

Lt. Edgecomb assisted the Mount Desert Highway Department with getting vehicles moved at a construction project on Cooksey Drive in Seal Harbor.

Officer O’Neil received a request for a well-being check in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.

Officer O’Neil received information in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.

Lt. Edgecomb performed a well-being check on a man at the marina in Northeast Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.

Officer O’Neil received information in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.

A Bar Harbor woman reported to the Bar Harbor Police Department that someone was driving by her house. The police department said that this report was unfounded.

An officer provided a ride to a Bar Harbor resident from downtown to their residence on Eden Street.

An officer assisted a motorist who had become stuck due to weather conditions at the intersection of Cromwell Harbor Road and Glen Mary Road in Bar Harbor. The officer and driver were able to free the stuck vehicle.

The police department received a 911 call regarding a vehicle stuck on Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor, but the vehicle had gotten free prior to an officers arrival.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Mental Health Liaison Melissa Tozier assisted a Bar Harbor resident with an issue.

Chrystine Emeigh, 57, of Lamoine, was driving a 2016 Toyota Camry and was attempting to back out of a parking spot at MDI Hospital when she allegedly struck a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz which had been parked by Cheryl Young, 55, of Bar Harbor. There was no reported personal injury. The Camry sustained minor damage to the front driver’s side corner and the Santa Cruz sustained minor damage to the rear passenger corner.

Officer Payson took a report of threatening in Bar Harbor. Officer Payson deemed the complaint to be unfounded.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Officer Torrey responded to a residential burglar alarm in Mount Desert. Officer Torrey found the residence to be secure.

While in Bar Harbor, Officer Tim Bland took a fraud complaint. No further information or disposition was given.

A 16-year-old male from Mount Desert was driving a 2015 Honda CRV and was stopped at the stop light at the intersection of Route 198 and Route 102 in Somesville when a 1995 Ford F-250, which was being driven by a 17-year-old male from Bar Harbor, allegedly struck the CRV in the rear. There was no reported personal injury. The Honda suffered damage to the rear-end and the Ford suffered front bumper damage.

Officer Michael Allen responded to a domestic dispute complaint in Bar Harbor and determined that the altercation was verbal only and no crime had occurred.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Officer Torrey received a burglar alarm at an unnamed school in Bar Harbor and determined that it was accidentally set off by an employee.

Officer Bland responded to a complaint of an erratic motor vehicle operator in Bar Harbor. Officer Bland located the vehicle, stopped the vehicle, and determined that the driver was fine.

Officer Ted Cake handled a dog complaint in Mount Desert. Officer Cake located the dogs and spoke with the owner of the dogs, issuing them a warning for having dogs at large.

Lt. Edgecomb spoke with a local health care provider in Bar Harbor who had some concerns about an elderly couple. Lt. Edgecomb enrolled the couple in the department’s good morning program.

Officer Nathan Formby gave a ride to a Bar Harbor resident from MDI Hospital to their home.

Gerard Meaney, 63, of Ellsworth, was driving a 2020 International truck and waiting to turn left from Triangle Road onto Route 3 at the head of the island. Jesse MacDonald, 21, of Mount Desert was driving a 2013 Chevy Volt and also waiting to turn left from Triangle Road onto Route 3, in the lane adjacent to Meaney’s. When the light turned green, both drivers turned left and Meaney’s vehicle allegedly struck MacDonald’s vehicle. There was no reported personal injury. The truck suffered no damage. The Volt suffered driver’s side rear and rear end damage.

Officer T. Cake responded to a report of a loose dog in Mount Desert but could not locate the dog.

Officer Formby spoke with someone who was having mental health issues in Bar Harbor.

Officer Allen responded to a complaint of suspicious activity in the parking lot of a Northeast Harbor business. After meeting with everyone involved, one person was warned for disorderly conduct.

Officer Chris Dickens took a report in Mount Desert regarding harassing messages on someone’s social media site. The complaint is under investigation.

Officer Troy Stanwood spoke with someone in Bar Harbor about a criminal matter.

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Officer Dickens responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in Hulls Cove, but the vehicle was gone by the time he arrived.

Officer Jerrod Hardy served a subpoena to someone in Mount Desert.

Officer O’Neil received some information in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.

Officer O’Neil performed a keep the peace for someone who was moving out of their ex-husband’s house in Bar Harbor.

Officer Payson took a report of trespassing at a store in Mount Desert. The information was only documented at this time.

An officer performed a well-being check in Bar Harbor and found the person to be all set.

An officer took a report of fraud in Bar Harbor. The report was for documentation purposes only.

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Officer Elias Burne spoke with someone in Bar Harbor about a civil issue.

Officer Hardy performed a keep the peace while a previous tenant removed their belongings from their previous residence in Bar Harbor.

A person experiencing a mental health crisis in Bar Harbor called 911 to report a crime. Officer Hardy met with the complainant and determined that the complaint was unsubstantiated.

Officer Payson searched for a motor vehicle in Bar Harbor that was the subject of a complaint passed on by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department but could not locate it.

Officer Payson responded to a complaint regarding a domestic that was taking place inside of a moving motor vehicle but could not locate the vehicle. The vehicle was later located in another jurisdiction and it was determined that no crime had taken place.

Officer Formby assisted a Bar Harbor resident who was having a mental health crisis.

Officer Formby served some paperwork in Bar Harbor.

STATE POLICE PRESS RELEASES

These are the Maine State Police press releases from the last few days. The Bar Harbor Story will include this each week though most (and sometimes all) do not occur in Bar Harbor. All photos are courtesy of the Maine State Police.

Tractor Trailer vs. Car Crash on I-295 in Yarmouth

On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at approximately 9:05 a.m., Maine State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at mile marker 17 northbound on I-295 in Yarmouth. Initial investigation indicates a tractor trailer was traveling northbound in the travel lane when the driver hit a patch of snow, lost control, struck a jersey barrier, bounced off, and struck the median jersey barrier, causing the trailer to detach from the tractor, blocking both lanes of traffic. While this was occurring, the driver of a 2016 Honda Sonata was traveling northbound in the passing lane when the tractor, which became detached from the trailer, landed on the rear of her car causing both the car and tractor to flip around and come to rest facing the wrong direction of travel.

The driver of the car was able to self-extricate and she was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the tractor trailer, 55-year-old Jerry Freeman of Lakeport, New Hampshire, was not injured. The tractor trailer is registered to Xpress Natural Gas out of Montrose, PA. The unit was hauling natural gas cylinders which will need to be off-loaded. Traffic is being diverted at Exit 17 in Yarmouth. The road closure is expected to last for about four hours.

Maine State Police’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit (CVEU) Describes Removal Process of Tractor Trailer from I-295

On January 17, 2024, at approximately 9:05 a.m., the Maine State Police received multiple reports of a crash on I-295 in Yarmouth involving a commercial motor vehicle and a passenger vehicle. Initial reports indicated the truck had disconnected from its trailer and landed on top of the passenger vehicle. The crash shut down northbound traffic on I-295 near exit 17 for approximately 15 hours.

When troopers arrived on scene they discovered a truck, operated by Xpress Natural Gas LLC, of Andover, MA, had crashed into a line of concrete jersey barriers that had been set up along the detour route of the mile 17 bridge replacement project. The truck rolled onto its side, into more concrete barriers, then landed on top of a passenger vehicle.

The crash investigation revealed the driver of the truck 55-year-old Jerry Freeman of Lakeport, New Hampshire, was traveling northbound, approaching the construction zone and drifting off the side of the highway multiple times. Freeman drifted out of his lane as the travel lanes shifted in the construction zone and crashed. Upon conclusion of the investigation, Freeman was issued a citation for failing to maintain his lane.

This crash scene was complex and highly sensitive due to the nature of the product hauled in the trailer. The trailer, loaded with UN1971 (Natural gas, compressed), was being transported in 51 individual cylinders inside the trailer manifolded together as one unit. This type of trailer is authorized to be transported under a complex special permit issued to the manufacturer of the unit by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA). Not visible when looking at the trailer, there are various pipes and valves on the sides and the top of the trailer that if ruptured would cause a catastrophic release of the hazardous material. Because of these circumstances, a deliberate and thought-out plan needed to be crafted by multiple parties to identify the best way to safely clear the scene.

Xpress Natural Gas fully cooperated with and assisted in the investigation and cleanup. They sent managers, mechanics, 3 empty trailers, and an engineer to the scene to assist. Mid-Coast Towing of Durham, ME, CPM Constructors, Shaw Brothers Construction, and the Yarmouth Fire Department also dispatched crews to assist.

The overturned trailer was offloaded to the extent possible by Xpress Natural Gas, a process that proved slow and arduous. Upon completion of the offloading Mid-Coast Towing attempted to upright the trailer but due to its weight and awkward configuration they were not able to initially do so. Xpress Natural Gas requested the assistance of National Wrecker Service of Eliot, ME, with whom they have a company contract to respond.

National Wrecker Service responded with additional resources and knowledge of the trailer and its construction and ultimately everyone on scene crafted a safe plan to disconnect the intermodal container containing the 51 cylinders from the trailer chassis. Once this was done, the container was loaded onto a trailer, and the State Police escorted the load from the crash scene to Xpress Natural Gas’ Eliot, ME, location where it could safely be dealt with.

The Maine State Police would like to thank it’s agency partners and other multiple parties that collaborated and assisted on scene, the media for helping to disseminate real time information, and the public for their patience.

*Troop K, MSP’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit (CVEU) consists of a skilled group of Troopers and Inspectors that are highly trained at the Federal level in driver qualifications and mechanical operation of commercial motor vehicles involved in both intrastate and interstate commerce. Additional expert training certifications are held for inspections of commercial vehicles transporting hazardous materials and tank vehicles which authorize the inspection and verification the motor carrier is properly operating in state and federal law, both of which came into play in this crash.

Maine State Police Investigating Double Fatal in Washington County

On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at approximately 11:00 a.m., the Maine State Police and the Washington County Sherriff’s Office were alerted to a multi vehicle crash with a possible fatality on Route 9 in Township 30. Deputies were the first to arrive on scene and confirmed there were two deceased adults in a small sedan. The two occupants in the sedan were traveling westbound on Route 9 in Township 30 when they encountered a loaded log truck on a curved road and the vehicles collided. There were two secondary crashes with other tractor trailers that did not contribute to any loss of life. Names of the deceased are currently being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The operator of the log truck was not injured. The preliminary investigation shows that the deceased lost control of their vehicle coming around a corner and entered into the oncoming lane of the log truck. Roadway conditions appear to have been a factor in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

The deceased have been identified as the driver, 35-year-old Tiffany Tinker and passenger 36-year-old Jennifer Sutherland, both of New Brunswick, Canada.

Vassalboro Man Charged with Manslaughter in Campfire Death of Albion Woman

On Friday, May 5, 2023, at approximately 10:18 p.m., first responders were called to D&R Campground at 109 Pellerin Road in China for reports of an adult female who sustained burns from attempts to start a campfire. The woman, 46-year-old Liza Bragg, of Albion, was standing next to the fire while someone else was trying to get the fire started. Other people who were with her at the campsite called 911. Liza Bragg was taken to a local hospital and then transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland where she died from her injuries. The incident is currently being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

On Thursday, January 18, 2024, at approximately 7:00 p.m., 31-year-old Travis Mitchell, of Vassalboro, was arrested by investigators with the Fire Marshal’s Office on a charge of manslaughter. Mitchell was indicted Thursday by a Kennebec County Grand Jury for his role in a fire that killed 46-year-old Liza Bragg, of Albion, in May of 2023. Mitchell was transported to the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta where he posted bail. A court date has been scheduled for April 22, 2024.

Maine State Police Investigates Fatal Crash in Howland

On Saturday, January 20, 2024, at approximately 7:59 p.m., troopers were dispatched to a single vehicle crash on Lagrange Road in Howland. The Jeep Wrangler failed to navigate a corner and went off the road striking several trees before coming to rest on its side. The operator, 44-year-old Cory Macdonald, of Shapleigh, was pronounced deceased at the scene. There were no other occupants in the vehicle. Speed and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

Bureau of Highway Safety Releases Motor Vehicle Fatality Numbers for 2023