THORNDIKE — The Waldo County Sheriff’s Office is considering charges against a Unity driver whose car crashed into a utility pole, killing one passenger and seriously injuring the other.

Four hours after the crash, the driver, Alvaro Soares, 27, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.07, just under the legal limit of 0.08, according to a subpoenaed hospital blood test.

Deputy Chief Jeff Trafton said because blood-alcohol levels decrease by around 0.015 per hour, police think Soares probably was operating under the influence at the time of the accident.

“We believe it was significantly above the legal limit,” he said.

He said they probably will make a decision with the district attorney’s office about charges, if any, by the end of next week.

The car Alvaro Soares was driving crashed into a utility pole on Unity Road around 7:15 p.m. July 4, killing passenger Oscar Tizon Brito, 23, a Peruvian national residing in Providence, R.I.

Soares and his sister, Kelly Soares, 22, of Cranston, R.I., have been released from Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The hospital did not say when they were discharged, but Trafton said they were still hospitalized Monday.

According to Trafton, a transformer atop the utility pole had exploded when he arrived at the scene. Kelly Soares had been ejected from the vehicle and sparks were falling near her.

Trafton said the trio was leaving a family gathering nearby.

Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252

kschroeder@mainetoday.com