ME State Police Encourage Hands Free Technology
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier May 8, 2008 Page 12
Cell phone mishap likely cause of fatal crash
State Police say a young woman talking on her cell phone is the likely cause of last month's fatal crash on Interstate 295 in Cumberland.
The woman's car crossed the median and slammed head on into a live broadcast truck owned by WCSH television on April 15. The crash killed the young woman and shut down traffic on the busy road for hours.
Trooper Jeffrey Linscott said his investigation revealed that Heather Bouchard, 24, of Yarmouth had called a client from the Spurwink Center, her employer, moments before the crash. Records show that Bouchard began talking on her phone a 10:23 a.m. and the recipient said that after four or five minutes it appeared that Bouchard may have dropped her phone in the car.
The phone call was disconnected and the other party immediately called back. That second call went to voicemail. The first 911 call about the crash was at 10:27 a.m.
Bouchard, a UNE student, died from injuries sustained in the crash that also injured WCSH staffers Aaron Twombly and Susan Kimball. Linscott said Bouchard was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash, although her family told him that she always wore it.
The trooper speculated Bouchard may have unbuckled her seatbelt to retrieve the cell phone and it was during that time that her car went out of control and crossed the median.
State Police say motorists are encouraged to use hands-free technology when using a cell phone from a motor vehicle or pulling their vehicle over to complete a call. Maine law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while driving.