LEWISTON — On Friday, local police were seeking a Porter man who was wanted on a warrant in connection with a 2007 fatal accident.
Mark Tardiff Jr. had been charged with manslaughter, but was convicted on lesser charges. He reportedly violated the terms of his probation by not appearing in court for a hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest, police said.
Maine State Police Lt. Walter Grzyb said there was information that Tardiff may have been in a Jaguar stopped in Lewiston on Friday afternoon.
A green Jaguar was stolen in Belfast and was believed to be in the Lewiston area. Police issued a bulletin to police to be on the lookout for the car. Local officers stopped a green Jaguar and detained the driver, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant, but was not Tardiff, a police spokesman said.
Local police turned the driver of the Jaguar over to Maine State Police, who were expected to question the driver about Tardiff.
According to police reports, Tardiff was the driver of a 1997 Plymouth Neon that crashed on Route 25 in Porter on July 4, 2007.
Bianka Cousins, 17, of Parsonsfield was killed after the car skidded into a utility pole and rolled onto its roof. Two others suffered minor injuries in the crash, as did Tardiff.
Oxford County Sheriff’s Office said Tardiff was bringing the juveniles home after a party where alcohol was consumed. Tardiff was 22 years old when he indicted in December 2007.
An accident reconstruction report indicated that the driver’s actions contributed to the crash, police said. Tardiff pleaded guilty to charges of Class B aggravated assault and Class C driving to endanger and was sentenced to serve three years in jail.
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