ALBION — A 14-year-old boy was killed Thursday when he lost control of the SUV he was driving.

The boy, Ethan Evers, of Albion, was driving on a dirt section of Barnes Road Thursday evening when the car left the road, Department of Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland said. Evers, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle.

Evers was traveling with three other boys, ages 15, 16 and 17. Their names are being withheld by police. One boy was treated for minor injuries, Capt. Joel Nelson of Albion Fire and Rescue said.

Evers was not driving the SUV earlier in the day, McCausland said. Shortly before the accident, Evers asked the driver if they could switch places. The boy agreed.

Moments later, the boys were traveling around a bend on the southern end of Barnes Road when Evers lost control of the SUV and veered off the road. Evers was ejected, but the other three boys remained inside until the vehicle came to a stop on its roof, Nelson said.

One of the boys called for help at 5:55 p.m., he said. Units from Albion Fire and Rescue, Delta Ambulance and Maine State Police responded.

Advertisement

Nelson said Evers was taken by ambulance to downtown Albion for transfer to a waiting LifeFlight helicopter, but paramedics pronounced him dead before takeoff.

Nelson couldn’t provide names of the boys, but said all four may be related. He did not know who owns the SUV.
Police are trying to determine whether any of the boys will face charges for allowing Evers to drive, McCausland said.

Staff members at Lawrence High School in Fairfield, which serves students from Albion, wouldn’t say whether Evers was a student there.

In Maine, a license cannot be issued to anyone under 18 years of age unless they have earned a certificate that confirms completion of a driver’s education course and an exam.

Those certificates cannot be issued to anyone less than 15 years old, according to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles website.

There have been 47 fatalities on Maine roads in 2012, compared to 30 deaths at this time a year ago — a 53 percent increase, according to a news release from the Department of Public Safety. Six people were killed last weekend.

The Bureau of Highway Safety says speed contributed to 28 of the 47 fatal crashes. Alcohol contributed to 15.

Ben McCanna — 861-9239
bmccanna@centralmaine.com


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.