The Gorham community is grieving the loss of the 3-year-old boy killed this week when he was struck by an SUV driven by a 13-year-old girl.
The unusual crash occurred Wednesday evening in the Friendly Village mobile home park. Police have not identified the boy or the driver of the SUV, and Gorham police said it may take several days before they can release more information.
Messages to police Chief Christopher Sanborn were not returned Friday.
Ian Wallin, a pastor at the Summit Community Church in Gorham, said community members have talked with him about the tragedy and the church has offered support to the family.
Summit has done service work at Friendly Village, and one church member runs a Bible study group from the community room at the development, Wallin said.
“We’ve got some people who live in Friendly Village so we had heard of it,” Wallin said. “It’s such a sad thing to hear. It’s hard when something like this happens, because you want to do something and you don’t know what to do. It’s definitely on our hearts.”
The investigation has been complicated by the fact that the vehicle was operated by a person too young to legally drive, Sanborn said during a telephone interview Thursday night. Police have not said how the girl gained access to the vehicle. Maine residents must be at least 15 years old to apply for a learner’s permit and 16 to apply for a driver’s license.
“We want to do a thorough investigation,” Sanborn said. “This is an ongoing investigation, so it is going to be awhile before we are able to release any additional information.”
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