Police are not identifying the driver.
GRAY – The driver believed to be involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed a Bridgton boy Sunday turned himself in to Maine State Police Wednesday morning.
The man, who is in his 30s, drove to the State Police barracks in Gray in a white Ford Escort, believed to be the same car that struck and killed Jesse Wildes, 16, as he walked along Mill Hill Road in Waterford after 1 a.m. Sunday.
Wildes, a junior at Lake Region High School in Naples, died of head and neck injuries. His body was found by a passing motorist at 2 a.m.
The man, who was not identified, “has been cooperative with investigators,” said Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland. The man has talked to detectives and went with troopers to the scene of the crash.
The man’s car has been impounded and is being taken to the State Police Crime Lab in Augusta for examination.
“State Police believe they have located the car and driver. The tests at the crime lab and additional interviews will be important in order to confirm that,” McCausland added.
McCausland added that troopers also plan to interview people who were with the man late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
“It’s too early to speculate on whether or if charges will be filed,” McCausland said.
“We still have a great deal of additional work to do,” and will need to consult with the Oxford County District Attorney’s office before any charges would be lodged, he said.
The crash occurred about a mile from Keoka Beach Campground where Wildes had spent Saturday night with friends. The campground manager, Chris Searles, reportedly said Wildes had an argument with a friend late Saturday, and decided to leave the camping area to walk along Mill Hill Road.
Police speculate that the vehicle crested a hill on the two-lane road and hit Wildes on the way down the hill, on the driver’s side.
The speed limit on Mill Hill Road is 45 miles an hour.
A blood-alcohol level test was part of an autopsy performed Monday on Wildes’ body, and those results won’t be available for a couple of weeks, McCausland said.
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