CHESTERVILLE — Maine State Police have summonsed a Wilton man on charges involving a tricycle hit-and-run on Zion Hill Road in September.
Nate McHugh, 30, was given a summons Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of leaving the scene of an injury accident and failing to report an accident, Trooper Jason Wing said.
A Chesterville man, David Tilton, was struck by a vehicle as he pushed a tricycle up the road at about 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 23.
From debris left at the scene, police were given clues as to the year of the vehicle: 2002. Witnesses described a Chevy pickup diesel truck with an extended cab and an LED-type light bar on the roof, Wing said.
With assistance from Trooper Reid Bond, the officers have followed on leads and visited residences of vehicles matching the description in recent weeks, he said.
This led them to McHugh. Initially, the truck owner denied being in the area, but he later told police he thought he had hit debris, not a person, so he kept going.
Police found damage on his truck.
The vehicle ran over Tilton’s cart, which was pulled behind the tricycle and over his toes. The tricycle was well-marked and off the road. Tilton was wearing a fluorescent vest and a helmet. The tricycle was hit with such force that it went up the road about 50 feet and wrapped around a tree, according to Chesterville Selectperson Tiffany Estabrook who came upon the accident scene.
Tilton is well-known and liked in the Chesterville community. He rides his tricycle around the town’s 45 miles to pick up bottles and cans along the side of the road.
As word of the accident spread the day of the crash, people responded. Carroll Corbin found another hardly used tricycle for Tilton. Corbin and his son, Norman Corbin, delivered the new tricycle within 25 hours of the accident.
A new basket for the back of the tricycle was donated and another cart was to be built and donated by neighbors.
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