HOLDEN, Maine — A local man is in critical condition at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he is undergoing treatment for life-threatening injuries he suffered Saturday night after crashing his motorcycle into a guardrail off U.S. Route 1A.
Though the motorcyclist’s name was being withheld Sunday afternoon, Trooper Tucker Bonnevie of the Maine State Police said that he is from the area. He initially was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor but later was transferred to Boston, Bonnevie said.
Bonnevie said that the crash happened shortly after 10 p.m., when the motorcycle rider, whom witnesses estimated was traveling at speeds of more than 100 mph, lost control of his machine while traveling from Brewer into Holden.
A state police trooper who was traveling in the opposite direction saw the motorcycle rider and turned around to follow him.
Because of the speeds involved and traffic that was on the road at the time, the trooper broke the pursuit off and continued to travel in the motorcycle’s direction, Bonnevie said. He said the trooper came upon the crash near the Holden Police Department.
“The driver was ejected and suffered serious injuries,” the trooper said. His injuries included a badly injured left arm and facial injuries. He was undergoing surgery on Sunday.
Bonnevie said that evidence at the crash site supported reports that the motorcycle was traveling at high speeds. He said the motorcycle rider was not wearing a helmet.