Maine Trial Ends in Conviction After Child Struck Outside Auburn School

A Lewiston man has been found guilty of driving to endanger following a school-zone incident in Auburn where police say a 7-year-old student was struck while crossing the street in front of his school.

The crash happened on October 1, 2024, outside Fairview School on Minot Avenue. Investigators say the boy was using a marked crosswalk in a posted school zone at the time of the collision.

Police report that a crossing guard was on duty and actively stopping traffic when the vehicle, driven by Alberto Nafoia of Lewiston, continued through the crosswalk area and hit the child. Authorities say the boy suffered injuries in the crash, but he has since recovered.

Nafoia was charged with driving to endanger and also received a traffic citation for failing to follow the crossing guard’s directions.

This week, the case was brought before the court for a day-long bench trial in Androscoggin County, meaning the verdict was decided by a judge rather than a jury. Police say Nafoia’s attorney asked the court to dismiss the charge, but the judge ultimately sided with prosecutors after reviewing the evidence and hearing testimony from officers who responded to the scene.

Nafoia has not yet been sentenced. The court is expected to schedule a sentencing hearing at a later date.