Maine State Police

On Wednesday morning, November 20, 2024, an adult male contacted MaineGeneral Gardiner outpatient facility located at 5 Central Maine Crossing in Gardiner. During the call the individual left a voicemail expressing frustration and leaving comments that raised concern with the staff. In response, the facility contacted law enforcement and out of an abundance of caution closed the facility for the day. A short time later the individual who made the call voluntarily checked himself into a local hospital for an evaluation. The situation remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.

On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at approximately 12:00 AM, Troopers from Troop F responded to the report of a wrong way driver on I-95 at Mile Marker 266. Trooper Noah Castonguay responded and attempted to stop the vehicle, a 2019 Honda Accord, at Mile Marker 281 with his lights and siren activated in the roadway facing the oncoming vehicle. The vehicle continued towards Trooper Castonguay. Trooper Castonguay swerved to avoid a head on collision and the vehicle continued North in the Southbound lane. Trooper Castonguay used a crossover to travel North and intercept the vehicle at Mile Marker 286. To address the imminent risk, Trooper Castonguay used his cruiser to strike the passenger side of the vehicle as it passed him in the crossover at Mile Marker 286 in Oakfield.

The collision caused the operator of the vehicle to stop. Trooper Castonguay placed the operator, 75-year-old James Burch of Freeport in custody. Burch was transported to the Aroostook County Jail where he was charged with Criminal OUI, Aggravated Driving to Endanger, and Passing a Roadblock. Neither Trooper Castonguay nor Burch were injured in the collision.

On Sunday, November 17, 2024, at approximately 4:17 PM, Troopers responded to the area of mile-marker 134, north-bound on I-95 in Benton, for the report of a single vehicle crash off the right side of the roadway. Upon arrival, Troopers confirmed that the operator and sole occupant of the vehicle, 20-year-old Isaiah Mathieu of Clinton was deceased. The initial investigation indicates that Mathieu failed to negotiate a bend in the roadway, before going off the right side and striking the guardrail.  After striking the guardrail, the vehicle, a 2004 Chevy Trax, sustained substantial damage before entering a ditch near the tree line. The exact reason why Isaiah left the roadway is unknown; however, speed and failure to negotiate the roadway are contributing factors. The crash remains under investigation. Troopers were assisted on scene by MaineDOT, Clinton Fire Department, and Blanchard’s Towing.

On Saturday, November 9, 2024, at approximately 10:57 AM, Troopers responded to two separate multi-vehicle crashes on I-95 northbound in Bangor. The initial investigation indicates that a vehicle traveling in the passing lane sped up and crossed into the travel lane to take exit 186. That action caused a vehicle in the right lane to brake quickly to avoid a collision. As a result, this created a chain reaction crash involving three vehicles that blocked both the passing and travel lanes. The vehicle that took the exit was not involved in the crash and did not stop. The initial crash caused a secondary crash also involving three vehicles. Two occupants in one of vehicles involved in the secondary crash were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Traffic was blocked for just about an hour while the scene was cleared. Assisting Troop I was the Northen Field Troop, Bangor Police Department, Bangor Fire Department, Union Street Towing and Bouchard’s Towing. The crash remains under investigation.

On Friday, November 8, 2024, at approximately 7:33 AM, Troopers responded to a vehicle vs. horse and buggy crash on Main Road in Bradford. The initial investigation indicates the driver of a white 2017 Ford SUV was traveling southbound and attempted to pass the horse and buggy when another vehicle was approaching from the opposite direction. To avoid that vehicle the driver of the SUV, 28-year-old Kendra Page of Bradford tried to wedge between the horse and buggy to avoid hitting the car. Page didn’t have enough room and struck the buggy from behind. The three occupants in the buggy were ejected and the horse suffered life threatening injuries which caused it to be dispatched. (put down) The three occupants of the buggy and Page, the driver of the SUV were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The crash remains under investigation.

On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at approximately 2:15 PM the Maine State Police responded to a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a pedestrian on I-95 southbound near mile marker 157 in Newport. The incident occurred as a worker from Northeast Paving was placing cones on the highway for an evening  paving project. A tractor-trailer, carrying recycled paper, struck the construction vehicle, causing the worker identified as 24-year-old Charles Miller of Enfield to be thrown from the truck. Miller sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for treatment. The driver of the tractor-trailer, 38-year-old Boureima Dicko of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and employed by JT Freight Inc. of Des Plaines, Illinois, was not injured. Additionally, the driver of the construction vehicle was unharmed. One lane was closed while both trucks were towed from the scene and the crash was reconstructed. The Maine State Police is investigating the crash. Further information will be released as it becomes available.

On Tuesday morning November 5, 2024, various crisis lines in Maine received threats of armed individuals on multiple school campuses around the state. The Maine State Police are working with our various partners and can confirm these initial calls were swatting incidents intended to provoke an emergency response. There is presently no known threat to the students, staff or public at this time. The Department of Public Safety encourages law enforcement and school leadership to continue to use due diligence when reviewing any new potential threats.

On Monday, November 4, 2024, at approximately 11:50 AM, the Bangor Regional Communications Center started taking calls of a wrong-way driver going northbound in the southbound lanes of I-295 in the city of Portland between exits 7 and 8. Troopers from Troop I began responding to the area. Yarmouth Rescue was traveling northbound at the time and saw the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser going the wrong way. The ambulance turned around to try to get the driver’s attention. The driver positioned the ambulance at an angle on I-295 to block the wrong-way vehicle. The driver of the wrong-way vehicle began backing up when she saw the ambulance had stopped up ahead of her. A Trooper pulled up to the wrong-way vehicle with its cruiser’s emergency lights on and the driver stopped. The Trooper was able to put the vehicle in park and get the keys. The driver was a 78-year-old female from Westbrook who appeared to be having a medical event. She was initially trying to get to Mercy Hospital, so Yarmouth Rescue, the ambulance that stopped to help transported her there. The vehicle was towed from the scene. MaineDOT assisted in a lane closure while the scene was being cleared up. The Portland Police Department also assisted on scene.

On Friday, October 25, 2024, at approximately 12:30 AM, Sgt. Dube of the Northern Field Troop conducted a traffic stop on I-95 in Bangor for a speed violation. The operator of the vehicle was identified as 40-year-old Cyrus Griffin of New Haven, Connecticut.  Griffin was found to be operating without a valid driver’s license. Griffin was also found to be on parole in the State of Connecticut for homicide. After learning of the parole status, Tr. Doyle responded to the scene to assist. As a condition of his parole, Griffin was not supposed to be outside the State of Connecticut. During the stop, probable cause was developed to search the vehicle. The search revealed a loaded pistol was located under the driver’s seat. Due to his prior conviction and subsequent parole, Griffin is prohibited from being in possession of firearms. During the search of Griffin’s person and vehicle, officers located 375 grams of cocaine, 69 grams of cocaine base, and 142 grams of fentanyl xylazine. Approximately $2,100 in suspected drug proceeds were also seized. Numerous items related to the manufacture and sale of the illicit drugs were also located in the vehicle. Griffin was taken into custody and transported to the Penobscot County Jail where he is being held on $150,000 bond. The Maine State Police was assisted by our partners at the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency after the seizure. 

On Monday, October 28, 2024, at approximately 9:00 PM, the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South and the Biddeford Police Department arrested 45-year-old Garret Labonte of Biddeford and 57-year-old Linda Lambert of Biddeford on charges stemming from the murder of 46-year-old Gene Dares. Labonte and Lambert were arrested at 63 South Street in Biddeford without incident. The homicide occurred in the area of 135-137 Foss Street in the city of Biddeford on September 27, 2024. Labonte is charged with Murder, Felony murder, and Robbery. Lambert is charged with Felony murder and Robbery. Labonte and Lambert are currently at the York County Jail and are expected to make their first court appearance tomorrow morning.