RUMFORD — Police have turned to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles for help to identify all 2007-11 white Chevrolet Silverados registered in the state.
They want to find the one that struck a pedestrian Saturday night on Route 2 in Rumford, and then fled the scene, Sgt. Douglas Maifeld said Wednesday morning.
That truck sustained damage to the passenger side headlight.
“We’re trying to get the state to narrow down all the ’07s through ’11s,” he said. “So far, they gave us one for Rumford only, and I’ve sent a guy up to check that.”
The pedestrian, Robert McKinnon, 32, of Rumford, was treated and released at Rumford Hospital following the 7:42 p.m. incident at the intersection of Route 2 (Rumford Avenue) and Washington Street.
Police say McKinnon was struck from behind while walking along the westbound lane.
According to witnesses, the driver of the truck stopped only long enough to determine that they hit someone, and then fled the scene. The gender of the driver is not known.
Maifeld said that had the driver not fled, it’s possible he or she wouldn’t have been charged unless they were under the influence or driving illegally, because McKinnon was walking in the road when struck.
“But a lot of people, they get nervous and get scared that they’re going to jail and take off,” he said.
Detective Sgt. James Bernard said Tuesday he didn’t know whether McKinnon was wearing dark clothing or why he wasn’t walking on the sidewalk along the eastbound lane.
There isn’t any crosswalk at the intersection and snowbanks force anyone walking along the westbound lane to travel in the roadway.
With the continued media attention on the investigation, Maifeld said he hopes the driver will see it and turn themselves in.
Since the incident, department officers have been checking with auto body shops and searching for the truck.
Maifeld said he has been working the case with reserve Officer Hart Daley, who is also a detective with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’ve called several mechanic shops and Hart said he went everywhere yesterday,” he said. “We’re all working together to solve this. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles is finding the trucks and I’m waiting for that. They’re e-mailing it to us.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Rumford police anonymously at 364-4551 or use the department website anonymous tip form at www.rumfordpd.com/.
Information about the crash and updates are also posted on the department’s Facebook site at www.facebook.com/rumfordpd.
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