Driver Found Not Guilty In Fatal Hayride Crash In Mechanic Falls

BATH — A jury has found David Brown not guilty of reckless conduct in connection with a fatal hayride crash in 2014 that resulted in the death of an Oakland teenager. Brown, 56, of South Paris, drove the Jeep pulling the hayride wagon. He has been on trial since late last week for a misdemeanor charge of reckless conduct. He was charged after investigators determined that a mechanical failure in the Jeep he was driving that night at a Mechanic Falls farm caused the hayride to plummet down a gravel slope and crash into a tree. A 17-year-old Oakland girl, Cassidy Charette, died in the accident, while more than 20 others were injured, including Brown, who broke ribs and suffered a concussion. Prosecutors from Androscoggin County are trying to prove that Brown, who has a Class B commercial driver’s license and still works as a professional driver, consciously disregarded the risks associated with the four-wheel drive, automatic shift vehicle he operated that night. In testimony Monday and Tuesday, Brown said that he was not aware of any brake issues with the Jeep. In closing remarks Tuesday, defense attorney Allan Lobozzo echoed Brown’s remarks and pointed out that a day before the accident, Brown had mentioned an issue with the carburetor in the Jeep he was driving, which was promptly resolved by mechanics at the farm. Before the 12 jurors left to deliberate, Lobozzo repeatedly asked them to consider whether a man like Brown would have “thrown caution to the wind” and driven a vehicle he knew was going to have brake failure. “Mr.

Sections:  u.s.   
Topics:  Maine   Cumberland County   Portland   

 

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