ORIENT, Maine — A 74-year-old Orient woman died Saturday evening after she was struck by a vehicle driven by her husband in their driveway.
Janet Desmarais was struck by a 2016 Ford 150 pickup truck driven by her husband, Norbert Desmarais, 76, as she was walking out of the couple’s garage on Macallister Lane, according to Aroostook County Sheriff Darrell Crandall.
The 911 call came in shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday. Janet Desmarais was brought to Houlton Regional Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The investigation by the sheriff’s office determined that Norbert Desmarais was repositioning his vehicle in his driveway while his wife Janet retrieved an item from their garage. As he was backing up his pickup, Norbert accidentally struck his wife, who had come back out of the garage, Crandall said. Norbert then struck the garage causing extensive damage.
A full investigation, undertaken in coordination with the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, determined it to be an accidental death, the sheriff said.
“This is a horrible tragedy, and we offer our condolences to the family,” Crandall said.