ELLSWORTH, Maine — City Councilor Pamela Perkins was struck by a pickup truck while crossing the street with her infant daughter Saturday in Ellsworth.
Perkins said she and her 1-year-old, Lydia, whom she was carrying, were on their way to dinner when the accident happened. She said she looked both ways before entering the crosswalk at the intersection of Main and Hancock streets just before 7 p.m.
Before the mother and child could reach the other side, they were struck by a Nissan pickup truck driven by Dennis Rowe, 49, of Bennettsville, S.C. The impact of the collision forced baby Lydia out of Perkins’ arms.
“I flipped around so that she wouldn’t be hit,” Perkins said in a Wednesday interview. “Before I knew it, I was on the ground and I wasn’t holding on to her anymore.”
Rowe told police at the scene that he had been “looking around the town” and didn’t see Perkins or her baby in the crosswalk.
Perkins and her daughter were taken to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital and treated. Neither received serious injuries, but Perkins complained of leg pain, and Lydia’s face was bleeding, according to an accident report. Both were treated and released.
“I’m fine,” Perkins said. “I don’t know how fast he was going, but it couldn’t have been too fast because I’m not hurt too badly.”
She said her daughter had received several medical tests and didn’t appear to be injured. Rowe was issued a citation for “failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk” and fined $165.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
Wow, so glad Ms. Perkins & baby Lydia are OK and not seriously injured…..please pay attention to the road Mr. Rowe & not “looking around the town”…..
Oh my! I am crying just reading this story. Poor Ms. Perkins and baby Lydia. I am so happy there were not seriously injured but I am sure the mental healing will take some time. I would be horrified if I was hit with my young baby with me. This would go in the category of “A MOTHERS WORST NIGHTMARE”. Hugs to you Ms. Perkins.
A fine of $165 is less than a parking ticket in some cities. Failure to yield? He hit them with his truck. I am astounded by the degree to which this severe offense has been dismissed.
driving to endanger at the very least
good lord…driving to endanger?
it is what it is
Where’s all the praying?
She can now sue him and his insurance company, so it will be more costly to him. Crosswalks are for Pedestrians – but it seems that is where you get hit the most!
why
Lots of time on your hands, heh?
As bad as it could’ve been, I’m sure relieved that it turned out so well. It could’ve been a youngster flying down the street.
So glad they are all ok.
more likely looking around truck for something.
like drugs or the phone
this comment was unnecessary. if you dont have anything positive to say , you shouldnt have said anything.. get so tired of every article that is posted, that people just cant comment on the story only. not implying anything, not using for political agendas & etc. Where has the compassion for others gone??
Somer comments are taken off just because someone doesn’t like a word. It is sad that in this day and age that people can’t have a diffrent opion.
you have to leave out key words its happend to me but you can outsmart the software just change the word you would use
So these ‘explosive’ comments by ‘plastic’ people who dislike ‘terrorist’ activity, even if they’re not a.c ‘D.C.’, (and by the way I love ‘Obama’) will not be looked into by the ‘N.S.A.’?
BDN could have said Ellsworth woman, they brought in the political angle
Yeah, those libs will do anything to get a little attention including throw a baby under the wheels of a good ole boy’s truck. I sure don’t remember anything like this happening back when George W. and George H. W. were our presidents. Yobama is taking this fine country down the road to ruin.
Terrible to hear that, Pammy! I’m glad that the two of your are safe, now it’s time to lawyer down.
If Ms Perkins’ story is accurate, Mr Rowe should lose his license and be charged with driving to endanger.
See a woman and a baby in a crosswalk? It’s the driver’s MORAL responsibility to operate his vehicle in a competent manner.
he must have law enforcement connections how sad but they stick together
I’ve been to Bennettsville, SC. The only connections there are to the welfare office.
doh
Except that he didn’t SEE them?
driving to endanger would mean he meant to do it, how about distracted driving?
Driving to endanger 1. Definition. A person commits a Class E crime if, with criminal negligence as defined in Title 17-A, that person drives a motor vehicle in any place in a manner that endangers the property of another or a person, including the operator or passenger in the motor vehicle being driven. – you can argue he was criminally negligent, except that now adays, people are hitting other people and driving off leaving them to do, thats more gross negligence, but the “standards” of what criminal and gross negligence mean are changing. He no doubt was negligent by not paying attention, but how far this will be taken or could be taken has yet to be seen.
Had the driver hit anyone else…no charges would have been filed
Bull. Of course they would.
Confederate scofflaw.
Throw the book at him.
Yessah
If this had happened in S.Carolina, and if the driver had been a Mainer and the victims Southerners, the consequences for the driver would have been far more severe. As it is, the driver should be jailed for at least a year.
Jailed for what? He didn’t hit and run, and there’s no indication he had been drinking. It just sounds like an accident, not a crime.
I agree with bandbox. S*** happens. Usually it doesn’t make the papers. I wonder
why this is being reported now instead of five days earlier? I imagine Mr. Rowe was
looking around because he was a tourist. That’s what tourists do. Don’t jump all over
the guy. I’m sure he was traumatized too. Happy it is that it didn’t have a worse outcome.
got that right in mass they have a cross walk in front of the supermarket if you dont stop and a cop is there o boy big ticket and 7 years surcharge on insurance im telling you this guy has connections big time
So we send this through an already stretched thin judicial system, then pay to house him for a year. After that he returns to South Carolina where he probably no longer has a job and has to re-connect with his family. (I’m making several assumptions…I don’t know Mr. Rowe.) I’m guessing seeing Mrs. Perkins and her child lying in the road, and knowing he was responsible, is going to cause him to be a more careful driver.
I think crosswalks are dangerous and should be outlawed. After having my lunch I had just purchased ripped out of my hands by a car mirror while in a cross walk, I refuse to cross until traffic has stopped both ways even if I have to make one side wait a minute or two. The car just kept going.
You would outlaw crosswalks? So what’s your plan and how would it be enforced?
The same way they presented them, a few head lines in the newspaper, signs and put crossing lights back up
? … But isn’t that the definition of a crosswalk?
“I refuse to cross until traffic has stopped both ways even if I have to make one side wait a minute or two. ”
Why in the world would you attempt to cross UNLESS both vehicles were stopped?? Common sense. If a vehicle is not stopped, there’s a good chance they don’t #1 notice you there, or #2 just don’t care, in which case they probably won’t stop anyway. I ALWAYS make sure any vehicle is stopped before I step out in front of them.
The car that took my lunch came off a side road near the cross walk, ran the stop sign. There was no other traffic near by except the lane that had stopped. I had already stepped out and started across before the lunch thief came into view.
since i can remember my dad told me dont trust any driver even if you have the lite im still here at 54 quess he was right
“Hillbilly” is a bad word.
Dont use it on this site.
My bad.
Seriously , I would like to see ” The List” of Bad Words
that bdn.com uses to filter thoughts and remarks.
Best wishes to all.
Including the visitor from the south.
right i mentioned that in my post also i have had the flag because of the filter what a joke
No vulgarity, racial slurs, name-calling or personal attacks.
this is rule #2 for posts here. You can use the word ‘hillbilly’ all you want just dont be calling someone a ‘hillbilly’ as name-calling is not allowed.
Duly noted.
Thank you.
I agree the penalty is probably not severe enough for the offense, but let’s be realistic, he was cited for what he actually did. Writing this up as driving to endanger when he was not speeding (according to the woman who was actually hit, which would be a pretty credible source) would be an extremely liberal interpretation of the law.
and most likely they will look at the police reports and let the attorneys and insurance companies go back and forth. he could be charged further in the future, but they aren’t going to instantly cite him with driving to endanger, they need time to investigate and she seemed not as angry at him as some of the people posting are.
Time for an observation: New Jersey, a state reasonably close by, has instituted a strict law that requires any (and I do mean ANY) driver to come to a complete stop (redundant, I know) when any person steps into a marked crosswalk. The day that this became law, it was enforced strictly statewide. Many citations issued. It has worked remarkably well ! And the interesting thing is that it seems to have changed attitudes. Now, when someone puts a foot in the road, even on private property such as in a supermarket parking lot, everyone stops ! I know – no way, right ? You have to see it to believe it. Even in that “me-first” NJ culture. Augusta – take notice !
that is correct but for some reason it said my comment is up for review i forgot to leave out key words you no what i mean say what you want but carefull how you word it to get around the software my bad
this guy has friends in law enforcement no other explanation or he knows a judge
Are you saying the guy had connections in this area, or dropped the name of a law enforcement officer or judge in South Carolina? Either way, I can’t imagine the responding officer deciding to issue a citation, rather than charge him for driving to endanger, based on “connections”. Maybe the guy was truly remorseful and the officer made a judgment call that a citation was sufficient. Mr. Rowe made a big mistake that thankfully didn’t have worse consequences for Mrs. Perkins and her child. I travel on that street frequently and you need to pay close attention..as you should wherever you are.
thats actually already the law in Maine. many still ignore it in their hustle to get where they are going.
I am so glad that Pam and Lydia ok! Perhaps there should be an added penalty on the books for actually HITTING A PEDESTRIAN though. I hope at least his insurance is covering their medical expenses!
I am so glad that no one is seriously injured and I am so very glad that everyone here is a perfect driver and has never made any mistakes while driving through Ellsworth or any other place. As I’m sure the lawyers will point out in court when she attempts to sue him there is a certain amount of shared responsibility in this. Perhaps we could take a lesson from this and mark the crosswalks well before you are actually there as in England’s “zebra crossings”. Still and all a serious situation did not happen thankfully.
This is why police need to start doing there job people have no regard for rules of the road . Now another way to get people to go by the rules is add court cost onto the fins like 90 bucks . Now before you people say the poor can’t afford it but remember the driving is a privilege an not a right also if schools can charge high school kids to park in a school parking lot, than any one that breaks driving laws can pay the fine . Like people have said if you got the money to buy car then you have the money to pay the fine .
I learned long ago to never assume it’s o.k. to proceed in a cross-walk without using a lot of caution – even though you know you have the right of way. For sure, some drivers aren’t paying attention, but some just plain don’t see you even when they try to drive in a responsible manner. There are a lot of distractions going on all around us when we’re on the road.
Wow, some of these comments are insane. Accidents do happen, luckily everyone is ok. Why should he lose his license or go to jail? He didn’t run them down, and as the article said, he couldn’t have been going very fast. I hate crosswalks too, well no, pedestrians I guess. It’s not all on the driver, some people have no common sense and will step directly out in front of a vehicle, forcing them to stop quicker than they should. I think some pedestrians should take responsibility for their actions, granted it’s always the ones who are doing as they should who get hit, and not the jerks who seem like they’re TRYING to cause an accident.
You are right accidents do happen but the person could of prevented it by looking real good. As for people in cross walks they have the right of way YOU ARE TO STOP AN LET THEM GO thats the law but people do not follow the law they all think they are above the law . If police do not want to enforce than all driving law should be done away with .
Goober…
Check his phone…