ORIENT, Maine — A Dyer Brook man driving a vehicle for Shiretown Taxi along Route 1 in Orient ended up injuring his passenger when the vehicle struck a tree after driving off the roadway in the early morning of Saturday, Dec 12.
According to Maine State Police reports, Robert Barnes, 27, of Dyer Brook was driving on Route 1 and transporting a 51-year-old female passenger when he reportedly became distracted and drove off the road, colliding with a tree. The reports do not say what exactly caused Barnes to lose sight of the road.
The name of the passenger was not released. Speed was not considered to be a factor and safety belts were worn, the report states.
While Barnes was unharmed from the incident, the female passenger had to be taken to Houlton Regional Hospital by ambulance for non-life threatening injuries. The vehicle, a 2012 Ford Taurus, was towed from the scene, resulting in a brief closure of Route 1.
Maine State Trooper Hunter Cotton was the officer who responded to the scene.
