Teen arrested in hit-and-run Police: 2 others could face charges

OLD TOWN – Police have arrested a 17-year-old Milford boy in connection with a hit-and-run accident late last month that injured a 78-year-old man.

Joshua Buzzell is facing a felony charge of failure to stop or render assistance at the scene of a personal injury accident as well as charges of failure to report an accident by the quickest means and operating a motor vehicle after license suspension, Old Town police Sgt. Travis Roy said Monday.

Buzzell was arrested Sunday, two days after police received information linking him to the Nov. 30 hit-and-run accident on North Main Street that injured Michael Salvato, a well-known resident of the Old Town-Orono area.

Two 18-year-olds – the passenger in the car at the time of the accident and the car’s owner – also may face charges for not reporting the accident, Roy said.

Salvato is at home recovering from a broken collarbone, broken ribs and other injuries, Roy said. Salvato was struck as he crossed North Main Street. Police had little to go on because witnesses only reported seeing a dark-colored car leaving the scene. But a half-dozen officers kept on the case, interviewing people, re-interviewing them and looking for leads.

“This was a high priority for us over the last seven to 10 days,” Roy said.

Investigators had planned an informational roadblock in hopes of uncovering leads, while word got out that the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus was planning to offer a reward. Salvato was a member of the Knights of Columbus and was known to hold spaghetti suppers to benefit the organization.

Roy said that Officer Seth Burnes was approached Friday night by someone with information about the driver. Burnes and Sgt. Michael Hashey interviewed several people Friday, including Buzzell and his passenger.

Buzzell was arrested Sunday and taken to the Northern Maine Regional Juvenile Detention Facility in Charleston.