Dexter boy hurt in fall from local railroad trestle

DEXTER – A local boy riding his bicycle on Railroad Avenue on Sunday fell about 25 feet from a trestle onto a paved highway.

Derek Corson, 9, who suffered cuts and fractures and complained of back pain, was airlifted from the scene and flown to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. A nursing supervisor said Corson was being evaluated late Sunday afternoon.

Corson and a friend were riding their bicycles about 11 a.m. when, the pair reported, someone approached them from behind on an all-terrain vehicle and forced them off the trestle, according to Dexter police Officer Brandon Vafiades.

Corson’s friend remained on the trestle but Corson and his bicycle fell to the pavement below, he said. The friend reported the incident to a resident in the vicinity, who notified police and the ambulance.

Vafiades said Corson was conscious when medical help arrived. “He’s lucky he wasn’t hit by a vehicle [after falling in the road],” Vafiades said.

Assisting Vafiades at the scene were Dexter firefighters and ambulance personnel from Dexter and Mayo Regional Hospital.