Police blame speed, inattentive driving
AUBURN – Auburn police have stepped up radar patrols of southbound Washington Street after a spate of accidents there.
Sgt. Tim Cougle said Auburn has had several expensive accidents in the past few weeks, including three rollover accidents along Washington Street. Justin A. Frazier, 21, of Raymond rolled his 1993 Pontiac Grand Am along Washington Street on May 16. Frazier was reportedly driving as fast as 100 mph before the accident.
“That really started it,” Cougle said. “Then we had two more in the following week on that same stretch.”
Ryan Paradis, 26, of Lisbon, rolled a 1990 Subaru on May 17 along the same stretch of Washington Street.
“That stretch has fewer businesses, so it’s easier to pick up speed,” Cougle said.
But Cougle blamed simple inattentive driving on several other accidents around Auburn since Thursday.
Police filed accident reports on four intersection collisions since Wednesday that each caused more than $3,000 in damage.
Police filed two reports on rear-end collisions since Wednesday that each totaled nearly $5,000 in damage.
“Basically, it just comes down to people not paying attention,” Cougle said.
“There seems to a lot of it lately. People don’t see the car in front or they don’t see the stop sign.”
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