LEWISTON – A driver found under a Sabattus Street guardrail, with his overturned car on top of it, was being treated at Central Maine Medical Center early Tuesday morning.

The man was identified by police as 42-year-old Bart Gillespie of 2 Babe St., Sabattus, Lt. James Minkowsky said.

The hospital did not release his condition.

Gillespie was driving his Volkswagen Passat station wagon toward Sabattus shortly before 10 p.m. when it crossed the centerline, rolled over, struck the guardrail several times and landed upright on it, he said.

Gillespie was thrown from the car and landed under the guardrail at the Golder Road intersection.

Maurice Glebocki of 1146 Sabattus St., who found Gillespie, said he was standing in his driveway when he saw the Volkswagon come around the corner at high speed.

“I don’t know how he’s alive,” Glebocki said.

Most of the right side of the vehicle was torn away and the entire hatch was crushed.

“It sounded like he floored it,” said Glebocki. “Then all I could hear were tires hissing followed by popping.”

Allison Pelletier, 19, of Lewiston and Randy Miller, 19, of Auburn were driving toward Lewiston on Sabattus Street when they saw the Passat headed in the opposite direction at high speed, Pelletier said.

“I said, ‘Turn around, he’s going to lose it,'” Miller said.

The two joined Glebocki and others at the scene before police arrived shortly after 9:50 p.m.

Lewiston police and fire departments responded. A police accident reconstructionist was on the scene.