AUGUSTA, Maine — A second person is dead in a high-speed automobile accident that took the life of an Oakland woman late Saturday, according to police.
Jackson Bolduc, 25, of Belgrade, a passenger in a car driven by Travis Lawler, 22, also of Belgrade, died of his injuries at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, according to Department of Public Safety Spokesman Stephen McCausland.
Bolduc was seriously injured when Lawler’s vehicle struck a tree at a high rate of speed on Saturday. Lawler’s sister, Kristin, 20, of Belgrade was killed instantly.
Travis Lawler fled the scene after the accident, McCausland said. He was found with minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital.
A third passenger in the car, Dylan Desroches, 20, of Waterville remains at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston with serious injuries, McCausland said, but is expected to survive.
Bolduc was initially taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Thayer campus in Waterville but was taken by LifeFlight to Bangor. None of the passengers in the vehicle were wearing seat belts.
Speed and alcohol were primary factors in the crash, according to McCausland. Charges are pending against Lawler, but the crash report is being reviewed by the district attorney’s office, a process McCausland believes will take a couple weeks.
Travis Lawler, former Marine, should have not come home for leave.
He needed a break. Everyone does, if you were a marine you’d know that.
What a tragedy. Two lives lost, and many others ruined. I pray for all the families.
This guy is going away for a long long time.
This is so sad. I feel so bad for all involved. These families have been devasted beyond what I can even begin to grasp.
My condolences to those affected by this young man’s death, as well as those affected by the young woman’s death. Fingers crossed that the other young man recovered completely.
Rest in peace to the lost one, my thoughts are with their families.
The victims chose to enter the vehicle driven by an unstable, drunk driver..
Without a doubt this is a tragedy, but all the blame shouldn’t be placed on the driver. I’m sure he was already dealing with a world of issues from being a soldier which likely led to his drinking. I feel the lack of support for this young man is the real cause.
as a marine he knew better he knew what was right from wrong-he killed these people he ran cause he did not want to get in trouble and face charges with the law and the milatary,why support a MARINE that killed his sister and friend?? then he fled the scene and yes all the blame is on the driver
You’re right about all the blame being on the driver, and it should be because the driver undertakes a lot of responsiblity when he decides to take passengers.
On what basis do you say that you’re sure he was dealing with a world of issues and that a lack of support was the “real cause” of the accident?
Do you even know the driver?
I do know the driver, and he was dealing with a world of personal issues. Most soldiers do come home and want to relax and enjoy drinks, after the stress of a military career Im sure that would be your way to relax and escape too. If you don’t know him dont be the one to judge him, that’s God’s job now.
Brittany I am sorry for your loss but in this case there will be two judgements. One by God and the other by a jury of his peers.
I get that but to write things on here isn’t right. And thanks. Theres always a time and place for things and this is definitely not the time.
You’re right, it’s not the time. I suggest you stop reading and posting and do something more proactive to help your friends. This isn’t it, you are just upsetting yourself.
Personal issues or not, he made a conscious choice to 1) get behind the wheel of a car after drinking, with passengers 2) flee the scene of the accident where not only his sister had died but also friends were seriously injured.
There is no excuse, period.
Condolences to the families of the both, may you find peace and forgiveness.
Actually, Brittanyxoskye, I have served in the Marine Corps and the Navy, and am a Vietnam veteran, too, but I never considered drinking, driving, and speeding as a way to relax and escape. Those just aren’t ways that I’ve coped with personal problems. And frankly, I don’t have a hell of a lot of sympathy for those who do that and then, if they kill someone, try to excuse or mitigate their criminal conduct on the grounds of their military service. I’m not saying that Travis Lawler is going to use his military service as a defense, but if he does, there are probably a lot of people, including veterans, who won’t buy it.
So in other words, don’t join the service or it will leave you so messed up you’ll drink and get into a car, drive drunk, and kill people. The people in that car chose to get in that vehicle, true. But the blame squarely rests in the drivers seat. That man had their lives in his hands. He made a choice and I know for a fact that his Marine “issues” had nothing to do with it. It’s called personal responsibility of which he had NONE.
Others have said that he didn’t run away, he left, looking for help. I have no idea how true it is, but that’s what I’ve read from others on the other article about the accident.
IF it’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that he made poor choices (drinking & driving), but at least he didn’t just run away.
It will go a little better for him if the reason he ran away was to seek help. But only a little. I’m afraid that this guy has just ruined his life, to say nothing of killing two others and hospitalizing a third.
Oh, I agree with you 100%!! Life as he knew it done, all because he made some VERY poor choices.
I have just seen a lot of people call him things because of the fact that he ran away and left his sister as she was dying, and I wanted to share what I had read in the comments on the other article. Like I said, I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s worth considering too.
If people want to show their disgust for his deciding to drink and drive, I won’t say a word, as I agree with them all!
If he ran away for help, he did not have to run far since the police were behind him!! He ran to hide his own butt!!!
No, the police were not behind him. A call was placed to the police alerting them of the crash.
‘Police received a call that there was a crash with victims trapped inside and sent a crew to help extricate them.’ That is a direct quote from the first article on the crash.
Oh, ok – thanks. Did not see the first article.
You’re welcome.
actually he was in the process of attempting to steal a boat and cross the water to get away, thats when the homeowners saw him and called police. As you read, he was ‘by the shore’
Which is precisely why I wrote earlier that it was just what I read on the earlier article, but that I didn’t know if it was true or not.
I know all of them and have talked to both dylan and travis. Everyone is worked up about it and very sad about the whole situation.
Check out the article in todays morning sentinel about this accident…very peculiar
If you dont know the actual story dont say that you hear cause its all just hear-say.
When you get right down to it, just about everything written in the news article is hearsay, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t comment on it or that those who have heard more things about the occurence shouldn’t comment too.
Very sad event. It’s tragic beyond words. For a young man to get involved in a crash that took his sister’s life, must be horrible, to say the least. Then another passenger dies, devastating. I’m sure this young man was probably already devastated by his experiences in the Marines, now he is responsible for two more lives, beyond words. RIP to the deceased.
To the other readers, I know, I rambled.
Why are you sure that he “was probably already devastated by his experiences in the Marines”?
Do you know him and what he did and where he served in the Marine Corps?
Horribly sad. This young man will have to live with the devastation he caused for his entire life. Sympathies to all the families involved.
Just trying to think about this logically, without emotion, the passengers that died in this crash were not wearing their seat belts which generally would be thought to contribute to their death as much if not more than his speed (which is obviously a consideration) so should he fully be responsible for their death?
To sum up more succinctly, a crash at same speed with them wearing their seat belts the likelihood of death would be significantly lower; also realizing the likelihood of death significantly rose because of the crash itself which is tied to the vehicle speed and his abuse of alcohol.
Unless he has a real nutcase for a lawyer, I don’t think the driver will be raising a “seat belt defense” to any criminal homicide charges from these deaths.
“Just trying to think about this logically, without emotion, the
passengers that died in this crash were not wearing their seat belts
which generally would be thought to contribute to their death as much if
not more than his speed (which is obviously a consideration) so should
he fully be responsible for their death?”
Easy answer….YES. The driver is responsible for his passengers.
Title 29-A says passengers 18+ are responsible for wearing their seat belt, not the driver, hence the question.
Each such passenger is responsible for wearing a seat belt as required by this subsection, and a passenger that fails to wear a seat belt as required by this subsection is subject to the enforcement provisions of subsection 4.
“In an accident involving a motor vehicle, the nonuse of seat belts by the operator or passengers or the failure to secure a child is not admissible in evidence in a civil or criminal trial, except in a trial for violation of this section.” http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-asec2081.html
So your question really is moot.
Good find, I wasn’t trying to say he isn’t responsible. It certainly is he stupidity that caused the crash, but you do have to put some responsibility for the others when they entered that car knowing he is drunk. So I am just trying to question what amount they are responsible for their own actions.
This to me is completely different from when a drunk driver hits another car, the people in the other car probably made no choice in the matter, whereas his passengers made the choice to drive with him while he was drunk so what is their level of responsibility for their choices?
Yes, you’ve made a logical and sensible distinction based on which car the injured passengers are in, but probably not one that’s recognized in Maine motor vehicle law. I think, based on info jd2008jd has given us, that there’s just no “seat belt” defense in this state.
I haven’t looked at Title 29-A that you guys are referring to, but I bet it’s limited to the minor violation, and I suppose fine, for the person not wearing a seat belt. It’s not a defense to a civil action for personal injury against a driver or a defense to a criminal case where the victim was not wearing a seat belt.
If I am interpreting correctly it only applies to if the driver was to get pulled over and the passenger was not wearing his seat belt the driver would not be responsible.
For all purposes those passengers have already paid the price for entering a car driven by somebody drunk and failing to wear their seat belt in said circumstances.
My gut feeling says he will be charged with vehicular manslaughter and will likely get a couple years in prison.
You have caused me to read Title 29-A, which is surprisingly long and convoluted for what should be a simple thing – a seat belt law. Having read it now, I think your interpretation is correct. Except when there are passengers under 18, the driver is responsible for himself and the passengers for themselves. Violation of the seat belt law is a minor traffic infraction, for which there may be a small fine.
The important thing about the seat belt law as far as the Lawler accident is concerned is that the statute makes it quite clear that evidence of non use of seat belts “is not admissible in evidence in a civil or criminal trial, except for violation of this section [i.e., the seat belt law itself]”. Tit. 29-A, sec. 2801, 5. jd2008jd has correctly pointed this out.
Unless, there’s something unusual that hasn’t been reported yet or the prosectors really botch the case, I think you’re right about the charges and prison time, but no telling how much time he’ll have to serve.
The other thing to think about is the new court system for veterans, which will likely hand out sentences with more counseling than jail time, which I think could play out well in this case.
A horrible set of decisions by this young man, with an awful outcome, but I don’t believe anybody would try to say it was intentional. I wonder what the military will charge him with though and what punishment he will see from them, it might also include some jail time. Things like dereliction to duty, conduct unbecoming of a soldier along with numerous other ones allow the military a wide range of latitude in sentencing.
I should say that the drinking, the driving, the speeding, and fleeing the scene were intentional. While the accident and deaths were not, they were a foreseeable consequence and, at the very least, the result of culpable criminal negligence.
Under Art. 111 of the UCMJ, drunk driving is a court-martial offense. So is manslaughter under Art. 119. Therefore, I think that conviction in a state court for these offenses would subject Lawler to a punitive discharge from the Marine Corps, certainly for a manslaughter conviction, which is a serious felony.
It is also the drivers responsibility to make sure that all passengers have their seat belts on. That’s the first thing they do when you take your driver license exam.
Not in Maine.
Title 29-A says passengers 18+ are responsible for wearing their seat belt, not the driver, hence the question.
Each such passenger is responsible for wearing a seat belt as required by this subsection, and a passenger that fails to wear a seat belt as required by this subsection is subject to the enforcement provisions of subsection 4.
Ummmmmmm, YEAH!
Title 29-A says passengers 18+ are responsible for wearing their seat belt, not the driver, hence the question.
Each such passenger is responsible for wearing a seat belt as required by this subsection, and a passenger that fails to wear a seat belt as required by this subsection is subject to the enforcement provisions of subsection 4.
If you are attempting to say that the driver is not responsible for the passengers deaths in this case it will not go very far….”In an accident involving a motor vehicle, the nonuse of seat belts by the operator or passengers or the failure to secure a child is not admissible in evidence in a civil or criminal trial, except in a trial for violation of this section.” http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-a/title29-asec2081.html
they eventually will charge him with manslaughter
Speculation.
but most likely true.
no updates lately on the morrison case in bangor
Another tragic story of two lives cut too short due to speed and alcohol. When will people get a clue and not get behind the wheel after they have drank? The message has been out there since the mid-80’s … Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink and Drive. Period. Two young souls are dead and this young man will most likely go to jail for killing two people and yet all someone had to do was take his keys away. Come on America, WAKE UP!
I’m sure this young man didn’t set out that night to go out and cause this tragedy. I think it’s unfortunate that the reporter chose the words in the article to make it look like he ran off and cause such sensational reactions to this article.
Age + drinking + lack of common sense = a tragedy.
What a piece of crap, leaves a scene when there are injuries, and to boot his own sister.
he doesn`t deserve to where the armed force uniform,
People should not be posting anything if they dont know the situation. People are mourning a loss have some respect. I am one of those people and dont feel its right to read this stuff. Its not right put yourself in their shoes for 5 mins would you want to read this stuff about your family and friends? No i dont think you would. So just shut your mouths about it. Its fine if your saying prayers and stuff but if you just came on here to call travis a coward and everything feel free to stay off it. No one wants to read your drama. Rip kristin & jackson; you both will be missed dearly! Kathy & Bill my thoughts and prayers go out to you & the boys.
god has 2 more angels now!
The situation = Travis drank too much. Travis got behind the wheel of a car. Travis killed his sister and a friend. Travis could have killed somebody else’s sister or friend.
You want respect ….. where was Travis’s RESPECT of his sisters life, his friends life or the lives of those in his community?
Im saying have respect for people mourning the losses! Clearly you don’t have any. Do you even know what people are going through. Probably not cause of the stuff your saying, everyone knows what should or shouldn’t have happened but cant change it now. All anyone can do now is have respect & not say stuff about people. Theres a time and place for it. Not here where family can read it.
No one has said anything disrespectful of the victims which are the only ones who deserve respect. Travis is a tool and deserves none and that is what you are reading about on this forum. I assume you are a friend of these people and for that I am sorry, but, this is old stuff … don’t drink and drive … and people don’t have tolerance for others who put their lives in danger. I understand you are a friend in pain, but, I am pretty sure you will one day agree with all the posts and realize THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.
I understand it could have. And yes i am a very close friend to all of them but all im saying is this is not the place to bash people. I fully agree drinking and driving is completely wrong, he was not trashed he did have a few to drink but it was his last night in maine and he was enjoying it with his griends and family. Im not saying drinking and dribing is ok in any way csuse its not. But everyone is going through a very hard time right now.
Understandably, everyone associated is going through a hard time. But, I’ll give you something to think about. In the Marine’s he would have been given explicit orders on conduct and whether it was his last night in Maine or not, he failed to follow those orders, he failed to follow the State law and he failed to follow common sense which would have been on your last night in Maine, when you want to go celebrate, get someone to drive you around. And remember, no one has bashed anyone but Travis who is the one who brought this sadness into everyone’s lives.
You left a few loose edges there GS. Kristin, Jackson, and Dylan, all made a choice to get into a car being opperated by a drunk driver. No doubt they were also drinking, but hey, they wernt driving. They also made a choice to not wear seatbelts. Not all the blame here should be placed on Travis. Just saying.
You are right, they did get in the car with him. But, ultimately the driver holds the responsibility … no court case in the world has been tried on a “they should have worn seat belts” defense and won. Travis put the key in the ignition and that ultimately places full responsibility in his lap.
Oh and “just saying” is sooooo 2011.
If you don’t think it’s right to read this stuff, then don’t read it. And don’t come here and whine and tell others to “just shut your mouths about it” because you know Travis and you don’t like the comments.
It’s news, and people have a perfect right to comment.
Hes a dirt bag who killed two people! every hear the phrase ” DONT DRINK AND DRIVE” Maybe you should call the local news and ask them not to report this news? I am sure that this family along with others are mouring their losses and i along with most everyone send our condolances, But he is the one to blame for this accident.
Who are you to tell me to shut my mouth? Travis is a coward and I hope he spends many years behind bars for murder. Nobody is forcing you to read any of the comments. People such as yourself are acting as if his sister died peacefully in her sleep when she died in a horrific manner.
Seriously grow up. People are mourning the loss of kristin, you saying what you are is disrespectful and rude. Your making yourself look like a tool & the reason he posted what he did is because he doesnt have any family members numbers or anything so stop judging!
See that’s the problem, Travis needs to grow up, not me, I did not get in a car and kill two people after I had been drinking. He acted stupidly and drank and then got in a car with his friends and family and killed two of them. You show me one person in America that does not know it is not safe to get in a car when you have had too much to drink. There are none. Don’t Drink and Drive message is loud and clear and has been since the mid 80’s. I will judge any person who gets on the road, drunk and puts my life and my friends and families lives in jeopardy. Maybe Travis should have too. It’s awfully hard to defend someone who has killed two people and was FULLY capable of preventing it.
I don’t think anyone has said disrespectful and rude things about the crash victims.
What is he so devastated about that he decided it would be okay to drink and then drive?
Just pull over. Its that easy.
Well Briitanyxoskye, before you say things like “and for you to keep running him down doesnt [sic] help” and “Theres [sic] no reason for you to sit here and say stuff about anyone”, you better read what I’ve said, because I have not run this guy down. So, why don’t you get off your high horse, stop arguing and mischaracterizing what others have said, and answer some questions?
How do you know Travis Lawler, how long have you known him, and is he a close personal friend of yours?
How and why is he, as you claim, devastated? Do you think he’s devastated because of his service in the Marine Corps? If so, please tell us where he served, what he did during his service, and what it was about his service that caused him to be devastated.
Another example of the best and brightest.
. . . if you weren’t killed in the crash.
This is an incredible tragedy and my heart and prayers are with all of the friends and families involved. It amazes me that so many comments are obviously going to be hurtful to the survivors, yet they just keep on coming.
Unless you have been in a situation like that (after the accident), it is unfair to judge. Travis could very well have been (and still be in) shock.
If someone says that they never drove after having a few too many drinks, I question that. There are people that never have, but they are in the minority. I also would venture to guess that most people have exceeded the speed limit from time to time. Does anybody else understand the phrase, “There by the grace of God, go I.”
To be so judgmental and post comments that are only going increase the pain for the people involved, is disgusting. My sympathy to all of the people that are mourning and trying to deal with this loss.
These posts are conjecture, innuendo and useless. Marines are human, humans are human. We all make bad decisions. Sometimes they result in bad consequences. We all have to pay for bad consequences. There is nothing good about this situation and nothing useful about the conjecture, comments or innuendos that follow.. Spend your time helping others to not make the same mistakes. If you have kids, spend whatever time you can to help them make good decisions. Thats the best you can do and any time spent there will be better than posting useless stuff on situations like this here…
The earliest story on the PPH states:Travis Lawler, 22, fled the accident on foot, according to Maine State Police Trooper Breanne Petrini. Lawler, a U.S. Marine home on leave from North Carolina, ran to a nearby home, Petrini said. Police were organizing a search with dogs when the property owner called police.
“The resident, who has no affiliation with Lawler, called in reference to him being on his property,” Petrini said.” Who knows whether he ran to the house looking for help? Maybe so, maybe not. http://www.pressherald.com/One-killed-two-seriously-injured-in-Belgrade-crash.html?searchterm=kristin+lawler
What I’m not clear on is whether he was active duty or not. His facebook status on Friday is “done with maine re enlisting and lnever coming back if you want to see me u can come visit me”
It’s a terrible tragedy for the family, and I think that for many of us who were once that age Lady Luck was the only thing that saved us from similar tragedy, because speeding around in a car with drinking thrown in is nothing new.
show a link to facebook
I would think you could find it on facebook yourself.
My heart goes out to all the family and friends.
a fabulous reason why high speed chases need to be OUTLAWED. can’t police see when someone is erratic and out of control…they have the license and description of the car, why do they ensue? the police are just as much at fault as the person drinking and driving.
Check your facts, Jack! You got it all wrong!! The police had nothing to do with this accident! They weren’t even on scene until the driver had run from the accident and into someone’s yard and the home owner called the police. You are OUT of your everliving MIND to think the police hold any responsibility! Get a clue!
Maybe you should read the article before commenting. The police were not chasing this vehicle.
i think cops should be able to shoot at the back of the head of drivers who take off
if i drunk drive,speed,driv reckless,and kill 2 people
everyone FEEL FREE to call me every name and a coward
i deserve it
and pleaze, dont try to make me out as a hero or a victim
Poor reporting. The reporting on two of the people is wrong. The only person who didn’t go to a hospital is the unfortunate one that died at the scene. The other 3 all went to hospitals and the accuracy of where they went is wrong for one person. All it takes is a phone call to double check your source.
apparently people didn’t like my comment for calling him a tool for running away from the accident. It has been flagged for review. Some people need to get a life.
I don’t feel sympathy for the driver. Other Mainers are fortunate to have not met this uncaring person on the road that night.
My prayers go out to the Lawler family who has lost one child and will lose another to prison. We have all made mistakes when we are young, stupid, and intoxicated. I would never say that i never drove under the influence. I would obviously be lying. Thankfully nothing bad ever happened. This was not the case here. This young man killed a close friend and his sister and will live in his own private hell for the remainder of his time. I heart also goes out to the family of Jackson. I have little doubt that all got into the car of their own free will and none were forced. Any of the four of them could have been the driver. It wont matter in the court of law, but this is such a huge tragedy and hopefully will send a message to others.
NO MATTER WHAT IS OR ISN’T — IT’S A SAD , SHAME AT THE LOSS OF LIFE FOR WHAT STARTED OUT TO THEM AS A GOOD TIME :( MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILIES — LIFE FOR SO MANY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME !!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL AS YOU TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS -<3
stupid stupid stupid stupid
I personally know people who drink and drive on a regular basis — and it is beyond infuriating. Nothing I have said or done has even made them think twice. Its disgusting. Its ignorant. When will we all learn? I guarantee this story and more similar to it in the future will do nothing. I have come to the conclusion that drinking and driving is just something we all have to look out for, especially on the roads at night. Be careful out there everyone..I must add, the passengers were also responsible since they willingly entered the vehicle of a drunk driver.
I have lost a roommate due to drinking and driving. I have seen a community turn against the driver, his best friend, and its just sad. This young man will have to live with this for the rest of his life. Yes, he will probably go to jail. But I don’t think any further harassment is necessary.
You know what, Travis Lawler is the best person in this world. All of you commenting and trashing him have no write because if it was you in the situation you would do the same this he did. What does a dog do when they get hit by a car, they run they don’t lie there. There was nothing at all that he could do to save Kristin. She was brain dead the second that car hit that tree. Kristin was an amazing person and Travis loved her dearly. They were with each other constantly.He has to deal with this for the rest of his life, and yet all of you decide to bash on him? You all are pitiful. People make mistakes and we are none to judge. All of you should be ashamed of treating a human being like this. He served for you and your country so that you would stay alive. Kristin may be gone and so may Jackson but they would both be ashamed to see you treat her brother like this. Stop the nasty comments and move on with your life. Because 90% of you do not know him and have no reason to comment. This was a tragedy, and no one deserves to die but things happen and you have to pick up the brokken pieces and try to move on. He wore his suit proudly and you all should go to hell for the nasty mean comments.
Also to all of you little jerks, he fled the scene to find kristin. He saw her dead and flipped he weent to the water because he thought he was dreaming and that she would be there, fishing like she always did and what she loved to do. So