Medway man dies after being hit by pickup driven by acquaintance

MEDWAY – A local man died late Tuesday after he was struck by a pickup truck driven by an acquaintance on Route 116 near Route 157, police said Wednesday.

Shaun Tripp, 27, suffered severe head and body trauma when he was hit by a full-size Chevrolet pickup driven by Joseph Day, 24, of Medway about 8:30 p.m.

Tripp was taken to Millinocket Regional Hospital and was pronounced dead an hour later, said East Millinocket Police Chief Garold Cramp, whose department covers Medway.

A state police reconstruction team is assisting Cramp and investigating Officer David Cram as they interview witnesses and examine conditions before the accident, Cramp said. So far, it seems no malice, speeding or severe negligence was involved.

“It just looks like a tragic accident where the driver didn’t see the pedestrian,” Cramp said Wednesday.

The accident occurred a few hundred yards east of Lenny’s Superette. Tripp had been shopping at the store immediately before the accident. It was dark and possibly overcast Tuesday night. Tripp wore bluejeans and a green and black camouflage coat, probably making him difficult to see, Cramp said.

Nor do streetlights brighten the immediate area, Cramp said.

“I am sure this was a factor,” Cramp said. “The other thing was the pedestrian was walking the right way, facing traffic.”

Tripp was eastbound and Day was driving west, Cramp said. The road appeared to be clear of ice and snow, and Day did not appear to skid before the vehicle hit Tripp.

Alcohol or drugs do not seem to be a factor in the accident, Cramp said. Day passed an initial sobriety test.

Cramp and workers at the store described Day as devastated by the accident.

Store workers were mourning Tripp’s death and the accident Wednesday.

They described him as a quiet, soft-spoken, genial man, and probably unemployed.

Tripp was among the many regular walk-in customers that the store gets from the neighborhood. He came into the store three or four times a week, they said.

Both men knew each other around town, but were probably not close friends, they said. They described Day as clean-cut and very nice.

No sidewalks are in the area, and it would be nice to have them there, store workers said, but accidents such as Tuesday’s are uncommon near the store. The last they could recall occurred 20 to 30 years ago.

Police hope to finish their investigation in two or three weeks, Cramp said. Anyone who saw the accident or knows what both parties were doing prior to it is asked to call police at 746-3555.