Details Emerge About Double Fatal Accident In Hampden [UPDATED]

UPDATED 4 p.m.--Maine State Police have said the driver who caused the fatal crash on the Interstate in Hampden Sunday night was 55 year old Richard Holden from Carmel. Troopers located Holden’s relatives in Maine this afternoon.  Holdenl, also lived in recent years in Baltimore, Maryland and his driver’s licenses were suspended in both states, likely for convictions in Maryland, said Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland.  As required by law, blood alcohol tests will be completed, as troopers continue to attempt to determine why Holden turned his SUV around in the southbound lane and then traveled about a mile in the wrong direction before colliding with a pickup truck. The driver of the pickup, James Curtis,  was also killed. The crash took place near the Hampden-Newburgh town line.

The Maine State Police say the driver going the wrong way on Interstate 95 in a double fatal in Hampden Sunday night had a suspended license.  According to McCausland,  the other driver killed in the head on collision was James Curtis, 39, of Knox.  His relatives were notified last night, McCausland said.

According to McCausland, troopers attempted to stop the wayward SUV which was traveling north in the southbound lanes.  The vehicle failed to stop  as a trooper attempted to block its way. Other troopers were in position to set up spike mats when the SUV slammed into Curtis’ pickup truck.  Both drivers were killed instantly.

Initial indications are that the SUV was originally headed south in the southbound lanes and for some reason turned around and started traveling the wrong way.