(PORTLAND, Maine) July 25, 2022 – A Turner resident was struck and killed by a driver while walking along a county road near her home on Saturday.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., emergency crews were called to the scene on County Road near Fortin Drive, where they found 46-year-old Tina White, who had been hit in the dirt shoulder. White had life-threatening injuries, and died at the scene.
“We grieve for the victim of this tragedy and her loved ones,” said Bicycle Coalition of Maine Executive Director Jean Sideris. “It is troubling that simply walking around your neighborhood has become a dangerous activity in Maine.”
Shortly after responding to the hit and run call, police were alerted to a driver who had passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle parked at a business on Auburn Road in Turner.
The car had damage consistent with the crash, and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office investigation developed probable cause to believe that the driver, Amber Smith, 36, of Sabattus, was the motorist that struck White, according to a Facebook post.
Smith was subsequently arrested and charged with Manslaughter, class A; Aggravated Operating Under the Influence of Drugs Causing Death, class B; and Causing Death while License is Revoked, class B; as well as a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear out of Kennebec County Court. Smith is currently at the Androscoggin County Jail.
The Coalition says this is the seventh pedestrian death of 2022, following a record-high 20 deaths in 2021. One cyclist has been killed in 2022 to-date.
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The Bicycle Coalition of Maine works to make Maine a better and safer place to bike and walk. Founded in 1992, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine has grown into the leading bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group in the state. The Coalition believes all Mainers should have access to bikes and bike education, and we envision a future where Maine’s roads, public ways, and trails are safe and accessible, resulting in cleaner travel options, improved health, and stronger economic benefits for Maine communities.