Family of 4 hit by alleged OUI driver while walking on sidewalk at summer festival

BANGOR, Maine (WABI/Gray News) - A Maine man is facing multiple charges, including operating under the influence of methamphetamine, after police said he hit a family of four walking on a sidewalk during a summer festival on Saturday.

Lincoln police said the incident happened during Loonfest at the intersection of Main Street and West Broadway.

Investigators said 57-year-old Carl Hartley, of Mattawamkeag, failed to stop and struck a mother, father and their two children, ages 5 years old and 3 months old, while they were on the sidewalk.

Hartley is charged with operating under the influence and with drug possession and trafficking. He is being held on $10,000 bail.

In court, prosecutors said Hartley has an extensive criminal history that dates back to 1987, including charges for assault, criminal mischief, burglary, terrorizing and three prior counts of operating under the influence.

Jasmine Drew, 24, was pinned under the truck and later flown to a hospital in Bangor. She sustained a compound fracture to her left leg, a broken hip that requires a metal rod and a broken neck.

“Right as we hit the sidewalk, a car just comes. No stopping, nothing. Just hits us full force,” Drew said. “My fiancé was able to push the baby out of the way and I was able to push my oldest daughter out of the way so they didn’t get trapped underneath the car.”

Drew said she was pinned under the vehicle and the driver attempted to back up while she was still trapped.

“I got trapped. My leg was pinned and the guy still tried to back up after on me, so I almost got run over twice,” Drew said. “But the whole time I was getting taken care of, it was, ‘Are my kids OK?’”

Drew’s fiancé, 29-year-old Dustin Allen, said he freed himself from under the vehicle and checked on the family.

“I have four broken ribs in my back on my left side. I have some contusions, some cuts. Obviously some bumps and scrapes on my head,” Allen said. “I was pretty banged up myself, but adrenaline kicked in. I unpinned myself from underneath to get myself out, made sure the kids were OK and made sure she was alert. I’d sacrifice myself for my children. I’m just glad they’re OK.”

The couple’s 5-year-old daughter suffered a laceration to her liver. The 3-month-old was not seriously injured.

Drew said her first instinct in the moments after impact was her children.

Drew’s younger brother, David, said he rushed to the scene after receiving a call about the crash.

“I got a call from my brother-in-law. He told me a truck hit them and I didn’t know it physically hit them,” he said. “I found Dustin, but I couldn’t see where Jazz was. Then he pointed to where she was and I saw what she looked like. It traumatized me a little bit, I think, to see Jazz like that, but she did phenomenal. She didn’t flinch. She had a smile on her face at one point to show that she was all right.”

Drew said she does not yet know how long she will remain hospitalized, but hopes the incident prompts others to reconsider driving while impaired.

“You can do whatever you want in your free time, but if you’re that intoxicated or messed up on substances, you should not get behind the wheel and risk other people’s lives,” Drew said. “We had two little girls in the mix of this. Luckily they’re OK, but it could’ve been way worse.”

The family thanked the community for its support and for the help shown during the emergency. A GoFundMe was set up for the family during their recovery.