Family sues man charged in snowsled death

AUBURN – The family of a man killed by a snowmobile in December is suing the Sabattus man charged with causing his death.

Robert Levesque, 59, was walking with a flashlight on frozen Sabattus Lake when he was struck by a passing snowmobile going about 70 mph, knocking him out of his shoes, gloves and socks, according to a police report.

The rider did not stop, and it was an hour before someone found Levesque lying on the ice. He died later at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

An Androscoggin County grand jury on Thursday indicted Steven Davies on charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault and reckless conduct.

The indictment came days after Levesque’s son filed a lawsuit in Superior Court seeking damages from Davies to pay for his father’s hospital and funeral bills and to compensate relatives for their pain and suffering.

Court documents indicate that Davies initially denied hitting Levesque but later changed his story. When police went to his house on Dec. 29, he looked outside, claimed the snowmobile was not parked where he left it and told them it must have been stolen. Police found a fresh set of tracks leading to a snowmobile in the woods and fresh footprints from the vehicle to the house. The vehicle had damage that was consistent with evidence found at the scene, police concluded.

Davies later admitted striking Levesque and fleeing the scene after police presented him with the evidence, according to court documents. He said he panicked and later asked his brother-in-law Robert Cyr to check on the victim.