November 15, 2024
Column

Car rear-ends Old Town school bus, 2 hurt

Two of the 42 people involved in a car and bus crash on Route 43 on Tuesday morning complained of pain when a car driven by a teenager rear-ended a half-filled school bus, Old Town officials.

The 17-year-old from Alton who was driving a red 1991 Pontiac sedan complained of head pain after his car struck the back of a Cyr Bus Lines school bus used by the Old Town school system, Old Town police Sgt. Scott Casey said.

Of the 38 people on the bus, a 13-year-old complained of neck pain. A 15-year-old and an 18-year-old also in the car were not injured.

The bus, driven by Elizabeth Ranco, 65, of Old Town, had been traveling east on Route 43. She stopped the bus at about 7:15 a.m. to pick up a student when the bus was rear-ended by the teen’s car, Casey said.

The teen told police that he had been talking to one of his friends in the car and didn’t see the yellow 1994 International school bus stop. It was not immediately clear if all of the lights on the bus were working properly.

The car was a total loss with more than $6,000 in damage to the vehicle’s front. The bus incurred about $500 in damage and was driven away with the students still on board.

Both of the people complaining of injury were treated and released at the scene of the crash.

Police withheld the identities of the teens in the car Tuesday night, pending further investigation.

A Bangor man involved in a crash that totaled two cars in a head-on collision on Stillwater Avenue in Old Town was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle Monday evening.

Gary Tweedie, 42, had been driving his green 1999 Mazda sedan east on Stillwater Avenue when an oncoming maroon 1995 Subaru station wagon attempted to make a left turn in front of him, Old Town police Sgt. Scott Casey said Tuesday.

The Subaru was driven by Vrishali Javeri, 31, of Old Town. Javeri was reportedly attempting to enter the parking lot of Market Cafe when he pulled in front of Tweedie.

Javeri complained of face pain from the air bag after the impact. Neither Javeri’s passenger, Subramanian Vaitheeswaran, 32, of Old Town nor Tweedie complained of any injuries, Casey said. All three had been wearing their seat belts.

Both cars were total losses. Tweedie is scheduled to appear in 3rd District Court in Bangor on March 3.

A transient man was arrested for criminal mischief after punching a wall and a picture and threatening to kill fellow residents at the Acadia Recovery Center, 179 Indiana Ave., when told he would have to move his bed closer to other residents, Bangor police said.

The Acadia Recovery Center, formerly the Hope House, was overly crowded and employees were trying to move beds closer together when James Allen Slagger, 35, got into an argument with another resident, Bangor police Officer Dan Herrick said.

Slagger allegedly commented that “he was going to take people’s heads off” and “he would kill anyone that got in his way or gave him cause,” Herrick said.

Slagger then reportedly walked into another room, punched a wall, then punched a framed picture of the “12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous,” breaking the glass, Herrick said.

Outside of the facility, Slagger challenged Bangor police Officers Herrick, Josh Ouellette, Kevin MacLaren and Eric Tourtelotte to fight. MacLaren, however, was able to calm Slagger down and put him into a police cruiser without incident.

Slagger was taken to Penobscot County Jail where he was charged with criminal mischief. He was released from custody Tuesday on personal recognizance bail.

An Orrington man was arrested and taken to Penobscot County Jail after asking Bangor police for a ride.

At about 10 p.m. Monday, Christopher Prince, 18, approached Bangor police Officers Kevin MacLaren and Eric Tourtelotte as they were parked on Indiana Avenue and claimed that he needed a ride to Hammond Street, Tourtelotte said.

Prince told police he needed a ride because he had just been kicked out of the Acadia Recovery Center at 179 Indiana Avenue.

While riding on the way to Hammond Street, MacLaren checked to see if Prince had any warrants for his arrest and learned that there was one for failure to appear in court for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants.

The officers stopped the cruiser, checked to make sure Prince wasn’t armed and then transported him to Penobscot County Jail, which is also on Hammond Street.

Prince was released from custody on personal recognizance bail Tuesday after making his initial appearance in Bangor’s 3rd District Court.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Derek Breton


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