Copper wire stolen from Bangor business

The high price of copper – attributed in recent years to low global supply and high demand – continues to make the metal attractive to burglars.

Bangor police are investigating the theft of $5,000 worth of copper wire from a local electrical business.

The theft, which occurred at Elco Electric Inc. at 311 Perry Road, was discovered and reported Tuesday morning, according to Sgt. Larry Weber of the Bangor Police Department.

There were no suspects Tuesday.

Weber said the thief or thieves cut off four padlocks on four storage containers to get to the copper, which was wound around large wooden spools.

The copper is believed to have been taken during the last two weeks, he said. (Dawn Gagnon, BDN)

A single-vehicle accident caused by a medical problem sent a Bangor motorist to Eastern Maine Medical Center on Tuesday.

Alfred Beerends, 66, had stopped at about 11:45 a.m. at a traffic signal at the intersection of Hancock and State streets in Bangor when witnesses say his vehicle drifted slowly through the intersection into the Queen City Exxon parking lot, located at 358 State St.

There, Beerends struck a sign pole. A bystander stopped his vehicle, according to a report by the Bangor Police Department.

A witness said the driver was unresponsive and appeared to be convulsing just after the incident. EMMC medical personnel confirmed to police that Beerends had suffered a seizure. Police said Beerends was released from the hospital later that day. (Dawn Gagnon, BDN)