November 23, 2024
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4 charged in crash on Moosehead Lake Wardens: Alcohol furnished to minors

GREENVILLE – Three adults and a juvenile are facing charges in connection with a serious boating accident on Moosehead Lake that injured six people last month.

Christopher Lavigne, 22, of Greenville was arrested Tuesday on a charge of furnishing liquor to a minor, according to Greenville Police Chief Duane Alexander, who conducted the joint investigation into the June 25 accident along with members of the Maine Warden Service.

Patricia Weingart, 18, of Greenville is facing a civil charge of a minor transporting liquor. A third adult, whose identity is being withheld and who is now out of state, is facing a warrant for furnishing liquor to a minor, a Class D misdemeanor.

The juvenile, whose name is not being released, is facing a charge of providing a place for minors to consume liquor, Alexander said Wednesday.

Lavigne, who was released on personal recognizance, has an Aug. 18 court date. His bail conditions include having no contact with co-defendants or witnesses and abstaining from drug and alcohol use.

The six people injured in the accident have all been discharged from area hospitals. The accident occurred on the fog-shrouded lake at about 2:40 a.m. when the 18-foot, open-bow boat in which the young people were riding smashed into a rock wall on a small island.

Alexander said the accident occurred after several in the party spent the day consuming alcohol, drifting for several hours in two boats. Lavigne and the adult facing the warrant allegedly purchased the beer, while Weingart allegedly transported it to the people in one of the boats. The juvenile operating one of the boats allegedly provided a place for the underage drinking to occur.

Alexander praised Warden Service members Adam Gormely and Joel Wilkinson for their roles in the investigation, which involved 22 interviews.


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