HIRAM – A man walked away from a crash that wrecked his truck and scattered his tools throughout the woods, and was charged with leaving the scene.
Maine State Police Trooper Adam Fillebrown said Monday that Joey St. Hilaire, 34, of Hiram drove off Route 113 in his 1995 Ford F150 around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The truck flew nine feet in the air, struck a large tree and landed upside down.
The cab was crushed, but St. Hilaire was able to crawl through the passenger-side window.
After checking out the scene, Fillebrown said he was surprised the driver was alive, especially because he had not been wearing a seat belt.
And the trooper said he was even more surprised that the man could walk a mile or so to a friend’s house after the accident.
St. Hilaire’s friend took him to Maine Medical Center in Portland Saturday night to be treated for cuts and bruises. The next morning St. Hilaire did call police, Fillebrown said.
“You have to report an accident by the quickest means,” Fillebrown said. “You’re not actually supposed to leave the scene.”
Fillebrown said he is investigating the cause of the crash.
“He admitted he was going too fast,” the trooper said. St. Hilaire also said he swerved to avoid a deer and then lost control. Tools in the back of his truck flew through the woods, but did not litter the road.
A driver who later passed the scene, which was near the intersection with Shotgun Gulch, reported the crash to police.
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