ROCKLAND, Maine — Eva Hamilton and Bonnie Gould became friends after they both lost a loved one in a 2005 car crash.
And in a cruel twist of fate, the two women found themselves in court again this week following another fatal accident.
The two women were at the Knox County Superior Court on Tuesday morning to listen to a plea hearing for Kurt C. Olesch on two charges — causing a death while driving with a suspended license and operating after suspension. Olesch was the driver of a car that struck and killed 30-year-old Robert Hamilton on Route 1 in Warren on the night of March 30, 2013.
The victim was the brother of Eva Hamilton.
Eva Hamilton and Gould became acquainted after Robert Hamilton tried to elude police in June 2005 and crashed his pickup truck into trees in Bowdoin. The truck rolled over and caught fire, claiming the life of two passengers — Gould’s son Joshua Fitzgerald of Sabattus and a brother of Robert and Eva Hamilton, 26-year-old Christopher Hamilton of Bowdoin.
Robert Hamilton was convicted and sentenced in May 2006 to nine years in prison for manslaughter. He had been released from prison two weeks prior to being struck and killed while walking along Route 1 shortly before 10 p.m. that March night two years ago.
Eva Hamilton and Gould have become friends since that 2005 crash. Recently, Eva Hamilton called Gould and asked if she would be with her for support and attend Tuesday’s hearing for Olesch. Gould agreed.
An agreement reached between the defense and district attorney’s office resulted in the 29-year-old Olesch of Old Town pleading guilty to both offenses but the more serious charge of causing death while having a suspended license would be dismissed if the defendant adheres to conditions that include no further criminal conduct over the next year. Olesch would then be sentenced to 90 days in jail with all but up to seven days suspended. Defense attorney Eric “Rick” Morse would be allowed to argue for Olesch to serve less than the seven days.
Information about why Olesch’s driver’s license was under suspension when the accident happened was not immediately available Tuesday. Olesch had two prior operating under the influence convictions, with the most recent being in 2009, according to Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Baroody.
Baroody said a blood alcohol test taken the night of the accident showed no alcohol in Olesch’s blood. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office reported that Hamilton had been walking in the middle of the road when he was struck and that Olesch is believed to have been traveling slightly less than the 55 miles per hour speed limit along the Route 1 stretch near the Finntown Road.
Eva Hamilton told the court Tuesday she was against the plea deal that would have Olesch serve no more than seven days in jail.
“He is getting off pretty easy,” she said.
Hamilton said she had heard nothing about the blood alcohol test results until she was in court Tuesday morning. Deputies at the scene also detected no intoxication on Olesch’s part, Knox County Sheriff Donna Dennison said Tuesday.
Justice Daniel Billings told the sister during Tuesday’s hearing that he understands why it was difficult for her to accept the agreement but said it was a reasonable one concerning the facts of the case.
Eva Hamilton also said Olesch has shown no remorse for striking and killing her brother.
But Olesch’s attorney said after the hearing that he tells his clients not to contact family members of victims so as to not be accused of trying to gain sympathy or tampering with potential witnesses.
After the hearing, Gould told the BDN that she forgave Robert Hamilton after the crash that killed her son. Fitzgerald had been friends with Christopher Hamilton and simply met up with Robert Hamilton on that day in June 2005.
In fact, Gould said she was hoping to become friends with Robert Hamilton when he got out of prison.
“My faith in God is why,” Gould said about her forgiveness of Robert Hamilton whom she pointed out apologized for his actions.
At his sentencing, Robert Hamilton told the judge, “If I could take my life and trade it for theirs, I would do it today. I dream of my brother all the time,” Hamilton said, according to BDN archives of the 2005 case.