WINDHAM, ME. (THECOUNT) — A motorcyclist was killed Wednesday evening in a three-vehicle crash on Route 302 in Windham, Maine, after Chad Jordan, of Westbrook, allegedly crossed the center line while driving a pickup truck, authorities said.
Jordan has been charged with operating under the influence following the crash, which occurred shortly after 7 p.m. on Route 302 in Cumberland County, near the Portland metropolitan area.
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According to police, Jordan was driving erratically before crossing into oncoming traffic and striking a minivan operated by a woman from Casco. After the initial collision, Jordan allegedly continued traveling on the wrong side of the roadway before striking a motorcycle.
The motorcycle caught fire during the impact, killing the rider. The motorcyclist’s identity had not been released in the initial reports.
Investigators said Jordan’s suspected impairment appears to have caused the crash. He was taken into custody and transported to the Cumberland County Jail, where he was being held on the OUI charge.
Additional charges are expected as the investigation continues, authorities said. The circumstances surrounding the collision, including the speed of the vehicles and the events leading up to Jordan’s alleged loss of control, remain under investigation.
The minivan driver was identified only as a woman from Casco in the initial reporting. Information regarding her condition was not immediately available.
The fatal collision involved three vehicles and occurred along Route 302, a major east-west roadway through the Windham area. The crash left the motorcycle engulfed in flames and prompted an investigation into whether alcohol or drugs played a role in Jordan’s driving.
Operating under the influence is a criminal charge and does not constitute a conviction. Jordan is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Windham is located in Cumberland County in southern Maine, approximately 10 miles northwest of Portland and within the greater Portland metropolitan region. The crash location on Route 302 is approximate.
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