CARIBOU, Maine — Local police are looking for a driver suspected of intentionally striking down and killing a wild turkey in Caribou late on Friday afternoon.
Caribou police Officer Craig Peterson said Monday that the incident occurred just before 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 22 on Mitchell Road and was witnessed by a man and his young daughter.
Peterson said that when he arrived at the scene, he found a dead wild turkey in the road and a male witness who said that he saw several wild turkeys attempting to cross the roadway.
At the same time, the witness said, he saw an approaching vehicle accelerate and swerve into the left lane in order to intentionally strike one of the turkeys.
“The witness did not get a description of the vehicle,” Peterson said. “But he believed that there were two or three young people inside. He heard the vehicle accelerate to hit the animal. It was a senseless crime.”
Peterson said he did not want to make public what the culprit could face for a charge so as not to deter others from coming forward with information about the crime.
The turkey is being kept as evidence.
Anyone with information regarding the crime is urged to contact the Caribou Police Department at 493-3301, or Maine Game Warden Ed Christie through the Maine State Police dispatch at 532-5400.