THOMASTON, Maine — Police say a Thomaston man will be charged with operating under the influence after he drove head-on into a vehicle carrying five children.
The crash occurred about 11:30 a.m. Saturday on Route 1 when a Chevy pickup truck driven by Ben Murdock, 33, of Monhegan veered across the road and struck a SUV driven by Jessica Kirkham, 35, of Warren, according to Thomaston police Sgt. Tim Hoppe.
Kirkham suffered injuries to her left leg and face, Hoppe said Thursday, but the children were not injured.
The Police Department had received a report through the Knox County Communications center two minutes before the crash of a vehicle driving erratically north on Route 131 near the intersection with Route 1, the sergeant said. The description of that vehicle matched Murdock’s vehicle, he said.
The sergeant said Murdock declined medical attention and was taken to the Knox County Jail in Rockland. Murdock was going to be booked at the jail for operating under the influence but before he could formally be charged, he suffered injuries in a fall at the jail and was taken to the hospital, Hoppe said.
Knox County Sheriff Donna Dennison said Thursday afternoon that she did not have any information immediately available about the incident at the jail. She also did not know Murdock’s current condition but would check on it Friday morning.
A representative at Maine Medical Center in Portland said Thursday afternoon that Murdock was in fair condition.