BANGOR, Maine — A 1973 Corvette Stingray received heavy damage Saturday when it reportedly was struck by a recreational vehicle in a southbound lane of the Stillwater Avenue overpass on Interstate 95.
No one was injured, but the driver of the RV continued traveling south on the highway, Maine State Police trooper Scott Bryant said.
Donald Harriman of Bangor was driving his classic sports car south on I-95 shortly before noon Saturday when he moved into the passing lane to allow traffic from the Stillwater Avenue onramp to merge onto the interstate, the trooper said.
The driver of the RV moved into the passing lane and either hit the Corvette or forced it into the guardrail on the overpass, Bryant said.
“The Corvette spun around before coming to rest against the guardrail,” the trooper said. “If it had been hit any harder, it would have gone over the guardrail and down onto Stillwater Avenue.”
Police are calling the accident a hit-and-run and are looking for an RV with a brown or maroon stripe on its sides.
Guy is lucky to be alive, I hope he knows… the driver of the RV probably blissfully ignorant of what he (or she) did. They probably thought they ran over a stick or something.
Maybe, but somehow, I doubt it. That kind of accident had to leave some damage, and some paint. Hope the authorities spot the RV at a toll on 95, and book ’em.
Get on the case! Instead of being a misguided ideological busybody, you could effect some actual change.
More boring personal attacks. You guys are lame at any form of debating. All you’ve got is a big mouth.
Yes, because it’s a thoughtful, authentic debate you’re interested in.
Isn’t there an echo chamber you moderate better suited to your extremist views?
If you read the article carefully, it says that he “either” struck the Corvette or forced it into the guardrail. If it ‘s the latter, then it’s only in the opinion of the Corvette driver and wouldn’t leave so much as a scratch on the RV.
After all these years, we still can’t make sure the lanes are clear before we merge to traffic.
I admit I am not a fan of that ramp, I hate it, at times people don’t slow down or stop to confirm it is clear, I think it is too short and designed wrong because when you come down the ramp and at times come to nearly a complete stop before it is clear and get a good line of sight depending on what you are dribing, you got some jackclown behind you that zips right off from behind you without looking (No thanks buddy I won’t want to be part of your wreck!)
When you are entering the Interstate you ALWAYS have a yield sign so you should expect to have to stop sometimes. There seems to be a myth that right lane traffic is obligated to move left to make room for merging cars from on-ramp but it is not so.
Yeah I am just not sure what book everyone reads when they get their license or if the state is giving those out in random drawings or something
Not obligated…but no reason you can’t 99% of the time. Most other states have removed those yield signs at the end of on ramps.
I’m pretty sure Maine is the only state left with yield signs at the end of freeway on-ramps, and its time for Maine to get rid of them too. You merge not yield…there is a difference. Traffic on the highway has the right of way, but encouraging people to stop (which a yield sign does for a lot of people) defeats the purpose of on-ramps.
Story is a little mixed up. If they were southbound on I95 how could the car almost go over gardrail and fall down on stillwater ave. stillwater ave. goes over I95
Stillwater ave also goes under I95 in Bangor.
Stillwater goes under the I-95….no place does the road (Stillware Ave) cross over the I-95 in Bangor…..
In Orono Stillwater goes over.
Agreed, but the conversation is about Bangor and that is why I specifically stated “Bangor” in my comment…..
bout time we had 3 lanes north of prtland
Wow! Poor car.
Thats why when I am in the slow lane or any lane that has the right of way, I do NOT merge over into the fast lane to allow the on ramp traffic merge. It is not the slow lanes responsibility lane to move. It is the traffic that comes onto the interstate to merge when safe. It that means it has to slow or stop until it is clear then so be it
Stay in Washington County where there is no interstate. Common courtesy says to move and let people on. Driving requires co-operation and courtesy. Drive in a lot of places south of here and you will get forced over. Not saying that’s right…but you have to be aware that’s how they drive.
Yield mean Yield!
and I will take the check for my new paint job when all said and done!
Rules are made up for a reason. Rules that I follow and have followed for 62 years. When in the military (worked in D.C. by the way for 12 years) never once had a problem). It is people like you that do not want to follow the rules and make others follow causing chaotic scenes. It is simple, stay in your lane, merge when coming onto the I-95 or another other place that REQUIRES….AGAIN REQUIRES YOU TO DO SO…IT IS THE LAW!! What is hard about that…it is very simple actually but people like you is what makes the world turn!!
Your comment is rude and also ignorant (yes, they mean two separate things). The courtesy you speak of is not courtesay, it’s dangerous. The oncoming traffic is supposed to yield; courtesy can get your and others killed. The rules are there for a reason. Follow them. Just because drivers do this does not make it okay.
ummm yea ..south of here is three and four lanes , apples and oranges … with four lanes the far right lane is for exiting and getting on traffic , with two lanes it is the passing lane and the travel lane , very different situation. I will not under any condition move over quickly without being 100% sure the left lane is clear. If I did and caused an accident it would be my fault not the yo yo that forced me over. People that think the person in the right lane should get out of their way and just move to the left lane on a two lane highway are wrong and need to rethink the meaning of yield. More often than not the driver in the right lane has a much better view of the left lane and knows if it is safe to move or it there is a car coming up to fast to cut them off at 60 mph.
I agree. Safe driving is doing all possible to keep a safe distance and prevent accidents. An interstate merge is one of the prime places where a discourteous driver and an impatient driver make a dangerous combination. Move over if you have the space, otherwise, you are adding to the problem, especially if the other driver is not as careful as you’d like them to be.
Almost as ignorant as driving in the passing lane going under the speed limit.
That’s almost as ignorant as endangering others by going over the speed limit !
oh, and here’s another one. sometimes you’ll see a ‘thru’ traffic sign in the lefthand lane that is usually reserved for passing. when the sign reads ‘thru’ traffic, it means just that, thru traffic, i.e. traffic that will not be leaving the highway. the guy behind you should not be riding your bumper, gesturing for you to move over, etc. these signs are generally seen in bulit up areas where traffic is entering or leaving the highway in many places. the guy behind who is irritated does not know the laws. good grief, thru traffic areas are only for a mile or two until you leave city limits. you don’t have to pass everything on the road for goodness sake. obey the laws, watch the signs and remove hair.
And it is drivers such as you that cause accidents because you refuse to move over when you safely can. You would not last a single day driving in the MD/VA/DC area with your attitude of this is my lane and I’m not moving.
Actually, Kevin in the senerio above occurs then it is the other person that caused it. I thought you were in Law Enforcement or something….simple really?
Kevin is a troll and likes stiring the pot. I don’t believe he even owns a car
lol
Washington County is the slow lane…life as it should be…
Exactly what happened to me on I-95 the other day. The ‘merger’ is supposed to YEILD! I was stuck in the righthand lane the other day as a truck was trying to merge. The driver never even glanced to see if the lane was clear. It is an issue to ‘slow down’ or brake for these ‘bad drivers’ as often there is another ‘bad’ driver right on your bumper.
In Canada, the merge lanes are all about 1/4 mile long with no ‘yeild’ signs. This makes sense as the merge lane is so long that drivers have a chance to ‘shuffle’ if need be to allow the merge. The merge lanes are also devoid of any trees, etc. so that highway traffice can see the merger for a longer period of time in ordr to make adjustments. Short merge lanes are dangerous. YEILD people.
Stay in the county unless you learn how to drive. These pinheads who come to a complete stop at the end of a on ramp lack the cognitive thought of continual motion and cause accidents. If your too scared to drive,stay home.
What is hard to understand with the way the LAW IS WRITTEN. Change it and I will obey that also!
You dont move over it s the merging trafic,s responsbilty to adjust heir speed to the the traffic I have had people almost run over me when merging they expexct you to move poor teaching by motor vechile division.
Common courtesy says to move and let people on. On-ramps are designed to let people move into the travel lane at highway speed. Driving requires co-operation and courtesy. Drive in a lot of places south of here and you will get forced over. Not saying that’s right…but you have to be aware that’s how they drive.
The law says Yield, the rules of the road say Yield
common courtesy says, take one step backwards…
Law trumps common courtesy any day in my book.
Please stay off the highway then if you are not going to move over and let traffic merge.
Please stay off the road if you’re not going to obey traffic laws
Please stay off the highway if your going to drive as if you own the road !
See I’m the person that does move over. I let others safely merge onto the highway. I’m not the person who says this is my lane and I’m not moving even though I can. I show respect for other drivers on the road.
Kevin, When traffic is lite I too will yeild the right of way to the merging traffic, but by “law” it is the responsibility for the person merging onto the highway to yeild and enter when it’s clear and safe to do so. That’s the law and no matter how much you argue, your still wrong.
I’m well aware of what the law is but to many Mainers simply refuse to move over a lane even when they safely can. I’ve lived in a lot of places and Maine is the only state I’ve lived in where people refuse to move over a lane.
They are not required to move over.
Feel free to be part of the problem if it makes you feel better.
re read my first post starting with ” I too”
What dose the law say ?
Kevin, as usual, you are out there…. It is not your duty to move, but if you can, and feel safe, it is fine to do so. You need to read the NHTSA advisory, as many accidents, just like this one involve an innocent driver who simply tries to be courteous, and gets into an accident.
Maine is lucky that we don’t have so much traffic that most people can move left, but in larger cities, and places with lots of traffic, it is extremely dangerous.
No one HAS to sign up for the military either,but they do. Sometimes it may not be legally required to do something,but it’s just the right thing to do.
It’s not our responsibility to move over for you to merge. Who taught you how to drive? Merging traffic is supposed to adjust their speed to blend into the highway traffic AND USE TURN SIGNALS. However, I will move over to let you merge if your turn signals are on and it’s safe for me to do so. No turn signals and I’m not moving over. It’s the law.
See, you are part of the problem. If someone forgets to hit their turn indicator you will refuse to move over even when you can. I don’t care if you have on your turn indicator. I will move over to let you safely enter the highway. Keep being selfish with your lane, one day you will cause an accident.
You just don’t get it, do you, Kevin? YOU have the yield sign. I’m tired of hearing “I forgot to put on my turn signals”. It’s a primary offense which is ticketable but good luck finding a cop to enforce that law. You actually expect traffic that is going 65 mph, or better, to slow down to let you in? Are you delusional? I hate to travel through Mass. because those massholes don’t even look to see if it’s safe to merge. They just merge because they’ve never had a close call. They figure the highway traffic will either move over or slow down just to let them in. And when cars merge like that, people, blow your horn! It’s to let the offending driver know he’s an ___hole.
Drive as you will and I’ll continue to be the nice guy that moves over a lane so you can safely enter the highway. How horrible it is of me to show a perfect stranger some courtesy.
From one vintage Corvette owner to another, my condolences to the owner and their Corvette who had to deal with this unfortunate situation. I’m glad your safe and I hope the offender is apprehended.
I am glad the driver was unscathed, however I must be old when you call a 73 vintage. My idea of vintage is a 67 vet.
Agreed. It was the last year for chrome bumpers, and it’s a c3 with a smog motor. I too am getting old.
last year of chrome bmpers was 71 f.y.i.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the ’73 was a chrome front bumper and a soft body-colored rear.
Neoprene front bumper with chrome split rear bumper.Last year of that style notched rear end. (68-73) 74 had the sloped rear end.
Thanks for pointing that out. Actually it was 1972 for both the front and rear bumper. Then in 1973 they left the rear chrome bumper on but used a plastic bumper in the front in order to meet the new federally mandated 5 mph bumper specs. By 1974 both front and rear were plastic.
Hard to believe nobody saw this, I listen to the police scanner and fools call every time someone crosses a white line….
You know what they ought to do in busy areas of traffic like that put in lights right on the interstate. That way people have to come to a complete stop and the people on the insterstate as well. I have seen this in certain cities and it does work and causes less accidents. You would only have to put these in where there is heavy heavy traffic.
They use those during rush hour in Phoenix. It works well!
Moving over is fine if the left lane is clear, but the ignorant people in this town think that you either must stop for them, or force your way into the left lane when it’s already occupied. As far as common sense and courtesy is concerned as shown by drivers in this town, better than half need to go back to driving school.
By the sounds of the article perhaps Mr harriman was at fault? perhaps he decided to pull over and let traffic merge along with the rv and decided he would just try to pass the rv? I see knowwhere of reports of contact with the rv or witnesses getting a license plate. Perhaps it just may have been driver innetention on mr harrimans part? Perhaps not but the artlicle is vague
OODA
Probably not the only brown stripe spotted that day.
If only I could take a copy of this edition of the paper, folded nice and tight with this article on top, and smack the queen “b” in the CRV that tried to force her way onto the interstate (Northbound from Broadway) yesterday. Never turned her head, if she took a few seconds to remove it from her backside, she might have noted that 1. a vehicle was already in that space, and 2. there was a truck beside me. When I realized that she would not stop, I honked my horn at her (sorry sweetie that two other people had the nerve to be where you wanted to be). She did slow down, but I think that was more so that she could focus her few brain cells into flipping me off, honking her horn, sticking her hand out the window and pointing to the other lane – I suppose her attempt to tell me to move over. Great role model for her children in the back seat.
And to all who might feel compelled to comment-yes, I always move over to allow someone onto the interstate when safe to do so. There was also no one behind me, she simply could have slowed slightly.
What goes in with people? You had children in your car, you are an adult CRV driving woman, and you behave like an angry freak instead of just slowing your freaking car down? What made you so nasty?
re read my first post starting with ” I too”
Everyone should have a go pro camera on their dash to nail all the idiots out there