BANGOR, Maine (AP) A truck driver is expected to accept responsibility for causing the death of a state police detective who was struck by a dislodged tire as he was assisting a driver alongside Interstate 95.
Scott Willett, 55, of Patten, reached a plea agreement in which he’ll pay a fine and have his license suspended, the Bangor Daily News reported.
Detective Ben Campbell, 31, was fatally injured when a tire from Willett’s truck fell off and hit him on April 3, 2019. He was headed to a training event when he stopped to help a driver in a snowstorm in Hampden.
An investigation focused on the condition of the logging truck.
State police previously suspended the license of a mechanic, alleging that his inspection of the logging truck and trailer less than a month before the incident was inadequate.
As owner and operator, Willet is charged with causing the death of a person while committing a traffic infraction, along with several trucking violations and operation of a defective vehicle.
Willett is due in court on Aug. 19.
The detective’s funeral at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland represented the largest gathering of Maine state troopers in history, officials said. It drew 3,000 mourners including law enforcement officers from as far away as Canada and California.
