GRAY – A 24-year-old Buxton man died after his slammed into a tree Saturday night in Windham while it was being pursued by a Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy.

Police said the vehicle disappeared into a plume of snow, and when police reached it, the passenger’s compartment had been thrown about 100 feet from the rest of the vehicle, which had slammed into a large pine tree.

Devin S. Betty died at the scene of the crash, police said.

Deputy Anthony Hovey had been chasing Betty’s vehicle after he saw it traveling 61 mph in hour in a 50 mph zone northbound on Route 115 in West Gray, the sheriff’s office said a news release.

Hovey turned around and attempted to stop the speeding vehicle near the Route 202-Route 115 intersection in Windham.

Betty’s vehicle initially slowed and started to pull to the side of the roadway, but then accelerated into a right turn onto Route 115 heading toward North Windham, the sheriff’s office said.

Hovey kept visual contact with the vehicle as it continued to accelerate away from his police cruiser.

As he followed it, the vehicle came up behind a group of other vehicles at the intersection of Route 115 and Varney Mill Road. There, police said, Betty swerved to the left and passed the group of three vehicles while a fourth vehicle approached from the opposite direction.

Shortly after making this pass, Hovey saw Betty’s vehicle’s headlights turning in his direction followed by a plume of snow and debris.

As Hovey got closer, he saw part Betty’s vehicle’s front end in the roadway, but couldn’t find the passenger compartment. He finally spotted it in woods next to a private home.

The sheriff’s department said accident re-constructionists from the Windham Police Department and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the crash.

Sheriff’s detectives are interested in speaking to anyone who was traveling in the area of Route 115 between Varney Mill Road and Smith Road in Windham between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday.

They can be reached at 1-800-266-1444, extension 2208.