SKOWHEGAN — A motorcyclist who failed to stop for a Maine State Police trooper late Wednesday on Island Avenue tore through the downtown with a passenger on board and crashed at the intersection of U.S. Route 2 and Malbons Mills Road, police said.
Both the driver, Jerry Grivois, 38, of Topsham, and passenger Joshua Cullinan, 27, of Oxford, Massachusetts, suffered injuries and were taken to Redington-Fairview General Hospital, the spokeswoman for state police, Shannon Moss, said Thursday in an email.
They were both admitted in serious condition.
Grivois is facing criminal summonses for eluding, operating under the influence and operation after suspension, Moss said. He has a prior charge for operating after suspension, she said.
The crash occurred at about 11:30 p.m. after Trooper Tyler Maloon saw Grivois driving a 2010 Victory motorcycle and having trouble keeping it upright, Moss said. Grivois was yelling at Cullinan to get on the bike, she said.
“Trooper Maloon suspected impairment and followed,” she said. “Grivois failed to stop at the stop light and use a turn signal while turning onto Island Avenue in Skowhegan. Grivois then proceeded to operate his motorcycle in the oncoming lane, dragging the right side of the motorcycle on the pavement, attempting to turn.”
Maloon activated his emergency lights to stop Grivois, but he sped up and traveled at a high rate of speed eastbound on Route 2, according to Moss.
“Grivois continued to the corner near Malbons Mills Road where he failed to negotiate the corner to the right. This caused the motorcycle to lay on its side, turn 180 degrees and overturn. Both Grivois and Cullinan were thrown off the bike.”
Route 2 and Malbons Mills Road meet at the Great Eddy of the Kennebec River.
Neither Grivois nor Cullinan was wearing a helmet, according to Moss. Skowhegan police assisted state police at the scene, she said.
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