A Yarmouth man has been indicted on seven felony charges – including manslaughter, aggravated assault and aggravated criminal OUI – in connection with a fatal car crash on Interstate 295 in Falmouth in June.
Brannon McRae, 29, was driving a 2012 Chevy Malibu northbound when it went off the highway and slammed into a rock ledge near mile marker 12 on June 7, killing Kathy Haycock, 26, of Brunswick and seriously injuring her brother, Joshua Haycock, 37.
Other drivers told police that McRae was speeding and driving erratically before the crash. The force of the collision was so powerful that the engine was ripped from the vehicle’s frame and came to rest in the middle of the travel lane.
Cumberland County District Attorney Jonathan Sahrbeck said in a telephone interview Thursday night that the aggravated assault charge is connected to Joshua Haycock’s injuries. Sahrbeck said he was unable to elaborate on the severity of Haycock’s injuries.
Police say this car crashed into the stone ledge along the northbound lanes of Interstate 295 in Falmouth and the impact ripped the engine from the vehicle’s frame. Photo courtesy Maine Department of Public Safety
If convicted of manslaughter, McRae could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
The Cumberland County grand jury indicted McRae on seven felony counts as a result of the crash: manslaughter, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated criminal OUI, one count of criminal OUI, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of 200 milligrams of Fentanyl powder, according to the December grand jury indictment list, which was released Thursday by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office.
It took six months to bring evidence to a grand jury because prosecutors were waiting for the results of a blood/alcohol test and a urine drug test. Sahrbeck said that a backlog of cases at the state laboratory means that results can take weeks or months to be analyzed.
According to records provided by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, McRae’s 10-year driving history shows two administrative convictions for speeding, a conviction for driving to endanger and two convictions for operating under the influence. McRae also has multiple convictions for driving while his license was under suspension.
In addition, McRae has twice lost control of a vehicle and crashed in dry conditions.
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