AVON – Police say a woman who claimed to be driver involved in a single vehicle crash in which a child was a passenger on Monday afternoon was later found to have been taking the blame for a man on probation whose license had expired.
Michael Harriman, 26, of Phillips, was arrested on a charges of violating a condition of release and leaving the scene of an accident, after police say he was actually the driver of a vehicle that went off the road and crashed.
According to Sheriff Scott Nichols, Deputy Bradley Scovil responded to the report of a crash at 3:09 p.m. on Route 4/Rangeley Road.
“Upon arrival he found the vehicle well off the road and evidence there at the scene led investigators to believe that the car had rolled over. There was airbag deployment, visible blood, crushed roof, all indications of a person being injured as a result of the accident,” Nichols said.
After emergency crews arrived at the scene, a woman using a cane also arrive and claimed to be the driver of the vehicle in the crash.
Scovil said “she changed her story several times and noticed that she had no injuries that would have been consistent with this particular crash and due to her inability to walk without a cane, noted she could not have extracted herself from the vehicle.”
After explaining to her that “her stories did not match and were not consistent she admitted that she was not the driver,” Scovil reported.
Nichols said the woman identified Harriman as the driver of the vehicle that crashed and that she came to the scene to “cover for him.” Investigators later found Harriman and after interviewing him said he “admitted to driving and having the woman cover for him because he had six years hanging over his head,” Nichols said.
“It was also discovered that Michael had his four-year-old son in the car with him when it crashed,” Nichols said.
Harriman was arrested on the probation violation charge and a Class D leaving the scene of an accident charge, evaluated for injuries at the hospital and transported to the Franklin County Detention Center. The child was cleared by rescue.
“It was unknown what the relationship is between the woman who blamed herself and Harriman,” Nichols said.
Nice work Deputy Scovil!
Glad the child was not injured!!
The child involved only had minor injuries thankfully child had one heck of a carseat!! Accidents do happen and there’s more to thus than what is here! So funny how papers pick informatuon!
Someone, please elaborate on just what the Bulldog did wrong reporting this story.
Its just there was more to it than just this but they are focusing on just the negative here!! That’s all I am saying!!
I think what was published in the paper re ; Harriman was taken from the police reports which are for the public to read. I’m a reader that looks at each story, same as the newspaper ( On the fence ) .