Highway fatality leads to calls for safety reforms

A July 29 wreck near a Maine Turnpike construction zone in which a 40-year-old motorist was killed has prompted calls for safety reforms by at least two legislators, including a former secretary of state, as well as a safety review by the governor.

Rep. Darlene Curley is proposing legislation in response to the accident that killed Tina Turcotte, one of her constituents. Lawmakers are not scheduled to convene until January, and for now Curley’s bill has only a title, “An Act to Improve Safety on Maine Highways.”

The Scarborough Republican said her bill will be shaped by the outcome of an investigation into how a driver with a record of repeat offenses can get behind the wheel.

Her bill will be co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, who was in a car next to Turcotte’s when the accident happened and remained at the crash scene in Hallowell until emergency crews arrived.

Turcotte died after a tractor-trailer driven by Scott Hewitt, 32, of Caribou crashed into the rear of her car, pushing it under a truck in front of her. Records show Hewitt has a long record of offenses and was under suspension at the time.

“We need to do all we can to prevent this from ever happening again,” said Curley.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, who co-chairs the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, said he’d like to see repeat offenders receive suspensions that last five to 10 years rather than a few months.

“There is a ticking time bomb out there,” said Diamond, a former secretary of state. “There are far too many drivers who fall in Hewitt’s category than people realize.”

Calls for reforms followed Gov. John Baldacci’s order creating a working group led by the heads of the state police, the Transportation Department and Secretary of State’s Office to conduct a detailed review of the accident.

“This has my full attention,” Baldacci said.

Transportation officials, meanwhile, announced they are making changes in the construction project along the turnpike, Interstate 95, to reduce traffic delays.

Among the changes will be extended working hours Monday through Thursday to speed up portions of the project causing the worst traffic delays.

“This is not as a result of the accident,” said Jeff Adams, head of the department’s regional highway program. “It’s to reduce traffic delays.”