Windham police would like to speak with the driver of a dump truck who may have witnessed a recent fatal crash on Route 115, which also is known as Tandberg Trail.

The collision, which took place in the area of 149 Tandberg Trail around 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 13, claimed the life of Adam Clark, 34, of Augusta. Clark was driving a Toyota Prius during a heavy rainstorm when the operator of a flatbed tow truck traveling in the opposite direction struck the Prius.

At the time, Windham police said it appeared that the tow truck’s driver, 49-year-old Manford C. Rideout of Windham, may have crossed the center line. A tractor-trailer also was involved in the crash, but the driver, David LaPlante, 59, of Waterville, was not hurt.

Windham police issued a news release Wednesday that included a photograph of the dump truck that they said was directly behind the Toyota Prius and heading toward Standish.

“The driver would have witnessed the accident occur directly in front of them,” Capt. James C. Boudreau said in a statement. “The truck actually stopped for a brief period of time after the crash, but left the area before Windham police arrived.”

Boudreau said they want to interview the truck driver to learn more about what he may have seen.

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Boudreau said in an email that police will present their investigative report to the District Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether to bring criminal charges.

“The dump truck driver’s eyewitness account will be vital in the DA’s decision,” Boudreau said.

Rideout has a history of driving infractions that date to 1988, according to documents provided by the Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

 


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