LEWISTON — A Turner man police said drove through a red light in a fatal February crash in Auburn entered a denial in court Wednesday through his lawyer to a related civil motor vehicle violation.
James Bannister, 57, had been driving south in a 2006 Dodge Ram pickup truck on Washington Street at the intersection of Maine Turnpike Exit 75 shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 24. He failed to stop at a red light, police said.
His truck struck a 1999 Oldsmobile driven by Crystal Hewitt, 48, who died from injuries sustained in the crash a short time after she was taken to Central Maine Medical Center, police said.
The passenger in Hewitt’s car, Janae Ulicki, 22, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, was treated at the hospital for crash-related injuries and released.
Bannister was treated at the scene of the crash for injuries not considered life-threatening.
Police said there were no indications that alcohol had been a factor in the crash.
Local police had shut down a section of Washington Street for several hours before reopening the roadway to traffic around 7 a.m. Lewiston police helped with reconstruction of the accident scene.
A complaint filed in 8th District Court said Bannister’s failure to stop at a red light caused Hewitt’s death.
Bannister is seeking a jury trial.
If convicted of the charge, he could be fined up to $5,000 and have his driver’s license suspended for between 14 days and four years, according to prosecutors.
cwilliams@sunjournal.com
Auburn crash
A 1999 Oldsmobile sedan driven by Crystal Hewitt of Turner is at the side of Washington Street in Auburn after it was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection with Exit 75 of the Maine Turnpike. Hewitt, 48, was taken to a hospital where she died, police said.
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