AUBURN – A Sabattus man accused of leaving another man to die after hitting him with his snowmobile last December pleaded innocent Tuesday.

Nearly four months after police arrived at Steven Davies’ lake house with a piece of broken windshield showing the the registration number of his snowmobile, the 36-year-old Sabattus man appeared in Androscoggin County Superior Court to face charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault and reckless conduct.

Wearing a suit and tie with a yellow support-the-troops ribbon pinned to his jacket, Davies pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

His bail was set at $50,000 in property.

Incident

Police say Davies was riding his snowmobile on Sabattus Lake at about 70 mph when he struck 59-year-old Robert Levesque. Then, they say, he drove away leaving Levesque lying on the blood-covered ice surrounded by broken snowmobile parts.

Levesque was walking on the ice with a flashlight when he was hit. The impact was so forceful that it knocked off his shoes, gloves and socks, according to a police affidavit.

It was an hour before Levesque was found. He died at Central Maine Medical Center later that night.

If convicted of the three charges filed against him, Davies could face up 35 years in prison.

Evidence

According to the affidavit, Davies initially denied hitting Levesque. But, while looking around the house and yard, police found a fresh set of snowmobile tracks leading to a snowmobile in the woods and a fresh set of footprints going from the vehicle to the house.

The damage to the vehicle was consistent with the evidence found at the scene, police concluded.

It wasn’t until police presented Davies with the evidence that he admitted to panicking when he realized he hit someone, police said. According to the affidavit, Davies told police that he went back to camp and asked his brother-in-law, Robert Cyr, to go check on the person.

When Cyr found Levesque, he put him on his snowmobile, drove to his house on the lake and called 911. But, police say, Cyr also called Davies and told him to drive his snowmobile home and get rid of it.

Charges

For this allegation, Cyr has been charged with two counts of hindering apprehension or prosecution. He is scheduled to be in court next month.

The Dec. 29 accident has also resulted in a civil lawsuit.

Claiming that his father could have survived if he wasn’t left on the ice for so long, Levesque’s son is suing Davies for damages to cover hospital and funeral bills and to compensate his family for pain and suffering.

It may be a year before the case goes to trial.

lchmelecki@sunjournal.com