RUMFORD — A Lewiston man was taken by ambulance to a Lewiston hospital late Saturday night after suffering a head injury in a motorcycle accident on Route 2.
Andrew Michaud, 51, was taken by Med-Care Ambulance to Rumford Hospital late Saturday afternoon to be airlifted by LifeFlight to Central Maine Medical Center, Rumford police Sgt. Douglas Maifeld said.
“He had an injury to the back of his head,” Maifeld said. Michaud wasn’t wearing a helmet.
However, Michaud didn’t cooperate with the LifeFlight crew, who then determined that his injury wasn’t dire enough and left without him, Maifeld said. So Rumford Hospital tended to Michaud’s injuries until 9:45 p.m., and then Med-Care took Michaud to CMMC for evaluation.
Maifeld said the accident happened at 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of Route 2 and Andover Road.
According to several witnesses, Maifeld said Michaud was riding a 2002 Harley-Davidson FLHT east on Route 2 at a high rate of speed, passing vehicles on the right and left.
Shortly before the accident, witnesses said Michaud passed six vehicles at once, forcing the driver of an oncoming vehicle heading west to pull over to avoid a head-on collision.
Then, in a 35 mph, no-passing zone coming out of a curve while heading east in the west-bound lane, the Harley-Davidson slammed into the front driver’s-side quarter panel of a 1999 Ford F-150 pickup truck that was attempting to turn left off Route 2 onto Andover Road, Maifeld said. The truck was towing a boat.
Michaud was ejected and came to rest on a grassy median. Witnesses said Michaud kept trying to get up to leave before police and emergency responders could arrive, but he wasn’t coherent due to the head injury and so they kept him flat on the ground.
Maifeld said Michaud was probably trying to leave the area because he has an active warrant from Sanford police for his arrest on a felony charge of theft by unauthorized taking.
Additionally, Maifeld said Michaud had white powder on him and would be tested for intoxication.
Neither the driver of the pickup truck, Kenneth Barrett, 70, of Moncks Corner, S.C., nor the passanger, his granddaughter, were injured. They were both wearing their seat belts, Maifeld said.
While Michaud was at Rumford Hospital, Maifeld summoned him on charges of driving to endanger and unlawful possession of cocaine, and a felony charge of unlawful furnishing of cocaine.
The investigation is ongoing and may result in additional charges. Maifeld said he alerted Lewiston police to be at CMMC when Michaud arrives to take him into custody on his release from the hospital, because Sanford police said they’d extradite Michaud.
The pickup driver, Barrett, was being followed by other relatives in vehicles as they were headed for South Arm Campground on Richardson Lake.
Passersby helped direct traffic around the accident scene until Oxford County deputies and Rumford firefighters could arrive to assist Rumford police.
Rumford police do not provide damage estimates. The motorcycle had to be towed, but Barrett was able to drive the pickup away.
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- A Med-Care Ambulance medic, center, asks Andrew Michaud, 51, of Lewiston, how many fingers she’s holding up after the motorcycle Michaud was riding slammed into a Ford F-150 pickup truck, ejecting him late Saturday afternoon on Route 2 in Rumford Center, police said.
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- Med-Care Ambulance crewmen and Rumford firefighters place a Lewiston motorcyclist injured in a collision late Saturday afternoon on a gurney in Rumford Center.
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- Oxford County Deputy Sheriff George Cayer, left, talks with Rumford police Cpl. Lawrence Winson and Rumford fire Lt. Keith Bickford late Saturday afternoon on Route 2 in Rumford Center after a Lewiston biker, riding the 2002 Harley-Davidson FLHT in the foreground, slammed into the left-turning 1999 Ford F-150 pickup truck in the background while attempting to pass it on the left in a no-passing zone, police said.
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