South Portland police have identified the Southern Maine Community College students involved in a fatal single-car crash earlier this week.
Patrick Donaghue, 20, of Wilton, was a passenger in the car and died as a result of the crash. The driver was William Blanchard, 18, of Gorham. He survived.
Police say Blanchard called police around 9:21 p.m. Monday to report the crash near the entrance to Bug Light Park. The car reportedly left the roadway and crashed through a wooden guardrail before coming to a stop in the grass in the park. Speed appeared to be a factor in the crash, police said.
Donaghue, who was a student at Southern Maine Community College, was unconscious inside the car when first responders arrived. He was pronounced dead at about 3:30 a.m. at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
South Portland Detective Sgt. Christopher Todd said earlier in the week that the driver has been cooperative, but Todd declined to say whether the young man consented to give blood or breath samples. It is standard practice statewide in all fatal motor vehicle crashes to test any driver involved for the presence of alcohol or drugs.
Todd said Friday that the State Police are helping with the reconstruction, and a vehicle autopsy is anticipated. Once the investigation is finished, the Cumberland County District Attorney’s office will make the final decision about whether Blanchard will face criminal charges.
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
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.