LEWISTON — Robert Parker began delivering Sun Journal newspapers when he was 14 years old. He died Tuesday in a car accident after delivering a bundle of papers to a store in Hebron. He was 19.
According to Miles Tobey, the Sun Journal’s district sales manager for Lewiston, Parker took on a downtown Lewiston delivery route as a foot carrier when he was a teen, delivering the early morning paper seven days a week, in “rain, snow, hail or sleet” in the area of Howe Street.
Parker’s route included apartment buildings, so he was climbing two, three and four stories to deliver the paper, Tobey said. “It was a lot of work, and he did it extremely well.”
The Lewiston teen was killed in an early-morning accident on Minot Avenue, an accident that closed the four-lane road for about three hours as State Police reconstructed the scene. Auburn investigators believe Parker may have “slightly lost control” of the vehicle he was driving, over-corrected and hit a Jeep traveling in the opposite direction.
Parker’s driving record showed he had no accidents or convictions.
The driver of the Jeep, George Nickerson, 77, of Lewiston, suffered serious injuries to his lower body and was listed in critical condition at Central Maine Medical Center.
Parker, who was also taken to CMMC after the 6:22 a.m. crash, died on the operating table a couple of hours later, police said.
According to Tobey, a number of Parker’s immediate family members are also foot carriers for the Sun Journal, including his mother, Peggy Toothaker, and a brother, Randy Parker. Sam Toothaker, Parker’s father, delivered the Sun Journal for years. The family’s strong work ethic was a factor in the company’s decision to hire Robert Parker as a field service representative in October.
He worked a third shift, delivering early-morning papers to stores and helping with other paper routes if other carriers were unable to work.
“He will be greatly missed,” Tobey said. “That’s for sure.”
Longtime newspaper carrier Peggy Toothaker was proud of the fact that her son earned his GED the day he took his job with the Sun Journal, after having completed the fifth grade in Lewiston schools.
“He was a polite kid who was always there for people,” Toothaker said. “He tried to always be the strong one … the guy with the big heart.”
Parker, called “Sammy” by close friends and family, was known for his loyalty, positive attitude and willingness to help others, said Alec Toothaker, 27, Parker’s half-brother.
“He was everything you could wish for in a friend,” said Andrew La Pan, 24, of Lewiston, who had known Parker for a half-dozen years. “Anyone who came in contact with Sammy was changed by him.”
Parker was most passionate about his work and his cars, Alec Toothaker said. Parker owned a pair of Ford Explorers as well as a Toyota Celica that he dreamed of souping up. Alec plans to rebuild the Celica the way Parker had wanted to, and to put a photograph of Parker in the car as a memorial to him.
“That something so tragic took his life at such a young age, it doesn’t make any sense,” Alec said.
Staff writer Andrew Cullen contributed to this report.
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