LEWISTON – Two men were killed Wednesday night in unrelated motorcycle crashes within a half-hour in different sections of the city.

The first victim, 44-year-old Lawrence Mathieu of Greene, died shortly after his Harley-Davidson collided with a car about 8 p.m. at Main and Frye streets.

At 8:30 p.m., 27-year-old Corey Sturgis of Lewiston was killed after losing control of his Honda on the dead-end section of Foss Road off outer Lisbon Street.

Neither was wearing a helmet, police said, and neither had a passenger.

Mathieu was knocked from his Harley after his bike and a Volvo, driven by Nicholas Danforth, 21, of Lewiston, collided on Main Street.

A witness said it appeared Mathieu was driving toward downtown Lewiston and the Volvo was pulling out of Frye Street. Danforth, son of state Sen. Peggy Rotundo, appeared dazed but unhurt at the scene of the crash.

Mathieu was immediately taken by ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center, less than a half-mile away. He was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.

While a swarm of police and emergency crews remained at that scene, report of a bike crash came in from Foss Road.

In that crash, Sturgis landed roughly 100 feet from his Honda after losing control near a short hill.

Police at the scene said it appeared Sturgis died almost immediately. Medical officials arrived shortly after and made the pronouncement.

The District Attorney’s Office was notified about both fatalities.

Danforth, from the Main Street crash, was being administered a blood-alcohol test as part of the investigation.

Blood tests are routine in crashes with life-threatening injuries, police said.

In the Foss Road wreck, court officials advised police to get a blood-alcohol reading from Sturgis as part of that investigation, as well.

The crashes thinned the police ranks as officers were sent from scene to scene. Police supervisors began calling for back up from the department’s morning shift to help respond to other calls around the city.

“For two of these accidents to happen in one night, in the same period of time, it obviously stretches us thin,” said Lewiston police Lt. Tom Avery. “But we want to make sure each scene is handled professionally and thoroughly. The officers have done a great job getting medical attention to the scenes, getting the areas blocked off and making sure the investigations are getting done right.”

A section of Main Street was blocked to traffic as police set up lights and waited for Maine State Police to assist with a crash reconstruction. Police were attempting to speak with all potential witnesses and asked anyone with information to contact the Lewiston Police Department.

A passenger in the car involved in the Main Street crash, a 1990 Volvo registered to Sen. Rotundo, was not hurt. Andre Frechette, whose age was not immediately available, went to the police department to be questioned about the wreck.

It appeared Mathieu may have been driving with a group of other bikers when the crash occurred. One teenager said she looked up just in time to see the Volvo pull away from Frye Street and collide with the bike. Moments later, the bike rider was on the ground unconscious. The driver of the Volvo appeared dazed but unhurt at the scene.

Others in the area reported getting to the scene after the mangled vehicles had already come to rest in the street.

On Foss Road, police were trying to speak with witnesses, as well. Investigators said Sturgis was likely with friends when he lost control of his bike. A woman at the scene was calmed by an emergency crisis worker and later taken to St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center for evaluation. Police said the woman was at the scene but not on the motorcycle when it crashed.

A section of Main Street, between Frye and Curtis streets, was expected to remain closed into the early morning hours Thursday as that investigation continued.