Jay accident kills one; second accident for trucker in a month

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JAY – A Peru man was killed Tuesday evening, when his vehicle struck a large truck being backed into a driveway. The operator of the tractor trailer truck was the same person whose vehicle was struck on the Wilton Road last month.

Police believe that Arthur White, 61, of Peru, was perhaps blinded by the sun as his vehicle, a 1992 Subaru station wagon, was traveling west on Route 17. At that same time, Scott Bowen, 31, was backing the 2007 Kenwood tractor trailer out of the highway, and onto his property in North Jay.

The station wagon struck the truck, traveling partially underneath the trailer. Police say White died at the scene. Bowen was not injured.

“It appeared that [White] made no attempt to stop his vehicle before impact,” Jay Police Chief Larry White Sr. said in a statement released today. He noted that alcohol blood tests were taken, as is customary, but alcohol was not suspected to be involved.

Bizarrely, this is the second serious accident that Bowen has been involved within less than a month, almost to the day. On June 16, a tractor trailer truck Bowen was operating was hit by another driver while he was transporting wood on Wilton Road in East Wilton.


Maine State Police troopers examine the scene of an accident which killed a Peru man yesterday evening. Jay police say that the sun may have blinded the operator of the station wagon. (Photograph courtesy of Jay Police Department)

Bowen suffered only minor injuries when his tractor trailer was struck by a vehicle being operated by Nathan Childs, 21, of Temple. Childs suffered serious injuries, and was transfered to Central Maine Medical Center. Reconstructions indicated that Childs had crossed the center line and hit the truck being operated by Bowen, who police said tried to avoid Childs’ sedan.

Jay Police Department Officer Russell Adams was the first on scene, with Chief White assisting with the investigation. Jay Fire Department personnel secured the scene, with Route 17 needing to be closed for three hours. Maine State Police Trooper Aaron Turcotte has been reconstructing the accident, assisted by MSP commercial vehicle inspection units.

The tractor trailer sustained $4,000 in damage, while the Subaru was completely destroyed. The District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the matter, but no charges are expected to be filed.

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