Portland man killed in Downeast UTV accident; alcohol may be factor in crash

The driver and passenger were not wearing helmets and they were not buckled in. (MDIFW photo)

WESTFIELD, Maine - The Maine Warden Service is investigating a UTV crash that killed one Maine man and injured another Sunday night.

The crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. when Jason Wilmot, 40, of Portland, was driving a 2022 Can Am Defender XT side by side UTV with Chris Foster, 44, of Gorham, as his passenger on a woods road in Westfield.

As they were going down the road that had a gradual downhill grade, the road slightly veered to the right with a low spot in the turn. Wilmot was unable to negotiate the turn, and hit a slight embankment which caused the UTV to start to tip, and then struck a tree, ejecting both occupants from the UTV, according to a statement sent on Monday by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife..

Wilmot was pinned under the UTV, and died at the scene according to responding EMS personnel. Foster sustained injuries to his head and was transported to AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle.

The driver and passenger were not wearing helmets and they were not buckled in. The incident remains under investigation by the Maine Warden Service, who reconstructed the accident at the scene. An initial investigation suggests alcohol may be a factor in the crash.