A Windham police officer was injured Wednesday night when his cruiser was hit by a teenage driver involved in a chase with Bridgton police.
The incident began when two Bridgton police officers found a 16-year-old male who had been reported missing in Massachusetts. When the officers approached the teen near the McDonald’s, he backed his vehicle into a cruiser and fled, Windham Chief Kevin Schofield said.
Deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office joined Bridgton police in the pursuit on Route 302 into Windham, where officers had set up roadblocks and spike mats, Schofield said.
The driver ran over the spike mats but continued to the area of Route 302 and Anglers Road. The car hit a parked police cruiser that had its blue lights activated, as well as two other cars, according to Schofield.
Sgt. Ernest MacVane, who was in the cruiser that was hit, was taken to Maine Medical Center after complaining of pain and non-life-threatening injuries. The teenager also was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. The occupants of the other cars were uninjured.
The Cumberland County Regional Communications Center said the accident shut down Route 302 and Whites Bridge Road, which connects Route 302 with Saint Joseph’s College, for several hours. The crash was reported around 9:44 p.m.
Windham and Bridgton police continue to investigate the incident and criminal charges are possible.
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