AUGUSTA — A city man who was struck by an SUV on Thursday as he crossed Hospital Street has died from injuries sustained in the crash.
John Boivin Contributed photo
Family members are remembering John Boivin as a kind man who went his own way in life.
“John was a free spirit,” Jill Boivin, Boivin’s sister, said Tuesday. “He lived life by the moment. You never knew what to expect from John — where he was going to be, who he was going to be with, what he was going to be doing. He didn’t tie himself down to much.”
Boivin, 57, was crossing Hospital Street near the Bread of Life Ministries shelter facility in Augusta around 7 p.m. Thursday when he was struck by an SUV. He was taken by ambulance to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta and was then transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he was listed in critical condition on Friday.
Jill Boivin said her brother underwent seven surgeries over the weekend to alleviate pressure from the injuries he sustained.
He died at 12:02 p.m. Monday.
“John could cut a rug on a dance floor,” Jill Boivin said. “That’s one of the things that breaks my heart. I’m never going to be able to dance with him again.”
Boivin was born and raised in Augusta, the middle of five children. In addition to his parents and siblings, Boivin leaves behind three children and three grandchildren.
“He definitely loved us a lot,” Mike Brown said of Boivin, his stepfather.
“Basically, anything in the summer that we could do for outdoor activities, he’d take us to do it,” Brown said, adding that Boivin taught his family about sports and how to play.
“(He) and his friends always played pickup basketball at Gage Street in Augusta,” he said. “Eventually John and other other guys would let the younger guys join in once we were old enough. He always just wanted to have a good time with his kids.”
Jill Boivin said her brother was always available to lend their parents a hand with chores like clearing the driveway of snow or shoveling off the roof.
“He’d call my mother every day and sing her a song,” she said. “She’s going to miss that.”
The driver of the Toyota RAV4, Mark Lawrence, 23, of Augusta, is not expected to be charged in the crash, police said.
“We’re feeling sorry for him as a victim as well,” Jill Boivin said.
Jill Boivin said her family doesn’t hold Lawrence accountable for the crash. Because of where the crash took place, she said, there’s a video.
“He stepped right in front of the car,” she said. “He (Boivin) wasn’t paying attention. I’m sure he had his hood on, and it was a very dark night.”
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