Leeds man indicted in hit-and-run

AUBURN — A Leeds man was indicted Thursday on charges stemming from a hit-and-run crash in September that left a Turner man in critical condition.

Donald White, 30, of 113 Anson Road, was charged with elevated aggravated assault, aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident and failing to appear in court.

The grand jury also charged him with theft by extortion in connection with an unrelated case.

In mid-September, White turned himself in to police who had been searching for him since the Sept. 6 incident that left 31-year-old Jason Gagnon with multiple injuries.

White has remained at the Androscoggin County Jail since. He faces charges from the alleged hit-and-run and unrelated charges in a kidnapping case.

Police said Gagnon and White wrestled during an altercation that involved Gagnon's girlfriend in the moments leading up to the crash.

White had returned to the driver's seat of a full-size pickup truck when Gagnon got up and started screaming at his girlfriend on the passenger side, police said. Words were exchanged between Gagnon and White. As Gagnon walked in front of the truck, police said, White put the truck in gear and began to accelerate, running over Gagnon.

After backing up the truck, White got out and went to Gagnon who was lying on the ground. According to police reports, Gagnon did not want to be touched and said he was going to walk home. His girlfriend insisted they needed to call for help.

Police said White fled the scene before emergency crews arrived.

According to medical reports, Gagnon's injuries were consistent with having been struck by a heavy object, enough to crush his sternum into his backbone, causing damage to internal organs including his heart and lungs.

Maine State Police said they found tire tracks at the scene that matched the treads of tires on the truck White had been using that night, a GMC pickup owned by a Greene man.

White is expected to be arraigned on the charges Friday.

He also faces charges of kidnapping, robbery, theft, assault and terrorizing in connection with an incident in March. In that case, police say White and a cousin kidnapped and beat a man who had come to buy a car from them. That case is set to go to trial next week.