BRIDGTON (AP) – Police say the officer followed protocol during a chase that led to a pickup truck crash that killed three people in Sebago. But the family of one of the victims blames police for Thursday’s fatal wreck.

“The fact is they chased those boys into a tree,” said Juanita Waugh of Bridgton, whose stepson was a victim in the accident. Matthew Waugh, 21, of Westbrook, and Tamera Hearn, 18, of Lafayette, Ore. were passengers in a pickup truck driven by Joshua Plummer, 23, of Naples.

All three died when Plummer’s truck hit a tree along a twisting road in Sebago while trying to elude Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputy Raymond McIntire.

Sheriff Mark Dion said all factors in the accident are being evaluated, including the speed which reached up to 82 mph, misty weather conditions and the danger to other drivers.

But police say McIntire was following procedures when he spotted the pickup truck being driven erratically and running a stop sign. He said McIntire was in constant contact with his supervisor, who was in the process of deciding whether McIntire should continue to pursue the vehicle when it crashed.

While defending his department’s handling of the incident, Dion said he understood a victim’s family’s anger.

“Sometimes it is easier to be angry at others than at your loved ones,” he said.

Waugh’s relatives said they wished that Plummer had just stopped for the deputy, but they could understand why he might have panicked and tried to flee. They said police are too quick to initiate a chase on Maine’s rural roads where there is little traffic, especially late at night.

“They spooked them and chased them with no regard to human life,” said Waugh’s stepmother.

High-speed police chases are a concern in communities across the country.

Police departments are adopting policies to initiate chases only if motorists have been involved in violent crimes, such as armed robbery or carjacking.

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