BELFAST, Maine — A Searsmont man allegedly sped across the Belfast footbridge in his car around midnight Saturday and flipped his car on a granite block at the eastern end, according to local police.
Kaden Mehuren, 24, has been issued summonses for a slew of charges connected to the March 28 incident on the Armistice Bridge, including driving to endanger, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, failure to give notice of the accident by quickest means and falsifying physical evidence.
Chief Mike McFadden said Mehuren is believed to have begun his wild ride on the west side of the footbridge. Two weeks ago, another car had slid down the icy hill on Pierce Street and hit the large granite pillar that blocked vehicular entrance to the footbridge on that side of the span.
“It knocked that over, and it couldn’t be reset because the ground is frozen,” McFadden said. “It left a big enough gap for a car to get in.”
Mehuren drove a small car through the gap and onto the bridge, police said.
“It appears he was traveling at a high rate of speed,” McFadden said.
At the other end of the bridge, however, the car hit the granite block at that entrance and flipped onto its roof, causing serious damage to the vehicle. Police say the driver evidently stripped off the identifying license plates, tossed them onto the beach, then left the area on foot. Police found the wrecked vehicle at about 2 a.m. and were able to track down the owner.
“Fortunately, no one was on the footbridge and there was no damage to the footbridge,” McFadden said, adding that no injuries appeared to have been caused by the accident.