Patten man charged with crashing snowmobile, fleeing

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    PATTEN — A 39-year-old Patten man was behind bars Saturday for reportedly crashing his snowmobile into a tractor-trailer.
    Ronald McGraw was sought by police after he allegedly crashed his snow sled Thursday at 8:40 p.m. near the intersection of Heald Avenue and Pleasant Street in Patten, according to Sgt. Brian Harris of the Maine State Police. The tractor-trailer belonged to Kerry Swallow of Patten.
    Harris said a passenger on the snowmobile, Michael Grant, 27, of Patten, suffered a broken leg in the crash.
    “After the crash occurred, McGraw fled the scene on the snow sled, while Grant stayed at the accident scene and was later transported by ambulance to Houlton Regional Hospital for treatment of his injuries,” Harris said. “The 2007 Peterbilt owned by Swallow was not damaged in the accident and damages to the snowsled are unknown as it had left the scene prior to (police) arrival.”
    Initial attempts to locate McGraw were unsuccessful. He was located Saturday and arrested without incident on an outstanding Superior Court warrant and for leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.  McGraw was transported to the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor.
    The incident was investigated by Trooper Carman Lilley, with assistance from Trooper Jillian Monahan and the Patten Fire and Ambulance service.