MILFORD, Maine — A man from Old Town is accused of trying to ram a Penobscot County sheriff's deputy's vehicle from behind before crashing into a home in Milford on Sunday.
Albert Harnois, 41, has been charged with the following, according to a release from the sheriff's office:
- Criminal attempted assault on a law enforcement officer
- Aggravated criminal mischief
- Driving to endanger
- Reckless conduct
- Criminal speed
The deputy was traveling south on Route 2 in Milford around 10 p.m. Sunday to back up another deputy in a nearby town, according to the release. He had emergency lights and a siren active when he noticed a truck closing in from behind at a high rate of speed, the sheriff's office said.
The driver of the truck tried to hit the rear of the deputy's vehicle, so the deputy swerved into the oncoming lane to try and get away, but the truck tried to hit the deputy's vehicle again, according to the release. The truck then passed the deputy's vehicle before going off the roadway, striking a utility pole, and crashing into a home near Call Road, officials said.
The truck never made contact with the deputy's vehicle during the incident, and the sheriff's office said the deputy was not attempting to stop the truck when the driver allegedly tried to ram the deputy's vehicle from behind.
Three people were home at the time of the crash, but they were not injured, according to the sheriff's office. Officials said the truck went completely into the first floor of the home.
Debris, including utility wires, covered the entire truck. Emergency personnel were able to communicate with the driver, but it was unsafe to enter the building, according to the release.
Utility crews then arrived and shut off the power so that fire personnel could structurally secure the house and remove the man, later identified as Harnois, from the vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
Harnois was taken to a hospital with a minor head injury and received a mental health evaluation. During this evaluation, he allegedly assaulted hospital staff, according to the sheriff's office.
Officials said Harnois had received a criminal trespass notice from Old Town police earlier in the day, and then a second criminal trespass notice from a deputy approximately 30 minutes before attempting to ram the deputy's vehicle. The deputy involved in the incident was not part of either previous criminal trespass incident, according to the sheriff's office.
Harnois was taken to the Penobscot County Jail after he was released from the hospital, the release stated.
The Milford, Old Town, and Bangor fire departments assisted the sheriff's office at the scene.
This incident remains under investigation, according to the release.