A 33-year-old Ohio man is facing a stack of felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly weaving through traffic on Interstate 95, fleeing a Hampden traffic stop with an injured female passenger inside his truck, crashing in the highway median, and then hiding in the woods until a K-9 team tracked him down.
The Bangor Regional Communications Center received a report around 3:13 p.m. on Monday of a Toyota Tacoma weaving through traffic near mile marker 163 in Plymouth, according to B98.5. Maine State Police located the truck traveling northbound and stopped it near mile marker 173 in Hampden, identifying William Ratliffe, of South Euclid, Ohio, as the driver. That stretch of I-95 running through Plymouth, Carmel and Hampden is a heavily traveled commuter and freight corridor in eastern Maine, per the Maine State Police.
During the stop, troopers reportedly detected the odor of alcohol and saw an open container inside the Tacoma. Ratliffe became argumentative and refused to identify himself or get out of the vehicle, the station's report states. He then fled the traffic stop at a high rate of speed, according to police.
Truck Crashes in Median Across From Rest Area
The Tacoma ultimately crashed in the interstate median on the southbound side of I-95, across from the Hampden Rest Area. That rest stop, home to the Maine State Visitor Information Center, is a major 24-hour travel plaza just south of the Bangor metro area, according to the Maine Tourism Association. After the crash, Ratliffe reportedly fled into the wooded median on foot rather than stop.
A Penobscot County Sheriff's Office K-9 team helped locate Ratliffe hiding in the woods, and Maine State Police took him into custody. The response drew help from several local agencies, including the Hampden Police Department, Hampden Fire and EMS, the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office, and the Maine Department of Transportation, per the same account.
Passenger Suffered Facial Injuries
A female passenger who was in the truck was taken to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center for evaluation after suffering facial injuries, the report notes. Her condition and her relationship to Ratliffe were not detailed in available police information. Ratliffe was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital for medical clearance before being transported to the Penobscot County Jail.
Ratliffe now faces domestic violence assault, domestic violence reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, OUI refusal, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, and operating without a license. Police say additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.
What the Charges Could Mean Under Maine Law
The reckless conduct charge is normally a misdemeanor in Maine, but using a vehicle in a manner capable of causing death or serious injury elevates it to a Class C felony under 17-A M.R.S. § 211, carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to the Webb Law Firm. Maine's implied consent law also means Ratliffe's OUI refusal triggers an automatic 275-day administrative license suspension from the Secretary of State, separate from any court penalties, per the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Fleeing officers on foot or by vehicle in a way that creates a substantial risk of bodily injury is graded as a Class D misdemeanor under Title 17-A § 751-B, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, according to the Maine Legislature. And if Ratliffe is ultimately convicted of the domestic violence assault charge, Maine and federal law would bar him from possessing firearms for at least five years and require him to complete a 48-week Batterers Intervention Program, per the Giffords Law Center.
It remains unclear whether the Penobscot County District Attorney will file additional charges or what Ratliffe's current bail status is at the Penobscot County Jail. That jail, a roughly 150-year-old facility on Hammond Street in Bangor built in 1869, currently holds around 157 inmates and operates above capacity while county commissioners advance plans for a replacement facility in Hampden costing more than $70 million, according to NEWS CENTER Maine.
As with any criminal case, Ratliffe is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. I-95 patrols through Penobscot County fall under the Maine State Police Northern Field Troop, which routinely coordinates with the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office on high-speed incidents and K-9 tracking searches along the highway, according to the Maine State Troopers Foundation.
