State Police arrest driver who fled scene of fatal Tuesday crash

Scene of Tuesday crash in Clinton (MSP photo)

CLINTON, Maine - A Maine man who fled the scene of a fatal crash that left his passenger dead has been charged following a two-day manhunt.

State Police arrested Tyler Hewitt, 31, of Presque Isle, after Clinton Police received a call of a suspicious person walking on Hill Road Thanksgiving Day afternoon.

After canvassing the area, Clinton officers located Hewitt after he emerged from the woods near Interstate 95. Troopers confirmed Hewitt was driving on a suspended license when he was involved in a fatal crash on Tuesday on Interstate 95 in Clinton.

The single-vehicle crash claimed the life of John Perkins, 38, of Hampden.

Police say Hewitt fled the scene before troopers arrived.

Police located a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine in a backpack Hewitt was carrying when he was taken into custody, according to a Maine Dept. of Safety press release. He was charged with aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, and operating after suspension.

The fatal crash occurred on Interstate 95 near mile marker 138 around 7 a.m. Tuesday. While originally thought to have occurred in the southbound lane, investigators determined a 2025 GMC Savana rental van left the northbound lane, entered the ditch area, before going airborne over the median crossover and striking a tree. Troopers located a critically injured passenger and began life-saving measures, however he died soon after at a local hospital from injuries sustained in the crash.

State Police were told by witnesses that a male driver, described as wearing dark clothes and carrying a dark backpack ran from the van and into the woods before troopers arrived on scene. Troopers searched most of the day with support from the State Police K-9 unit and the Airwing but were unable to locate the driver at that time.