FRIENDSHIP — A stretch of road already known for slide-offs and less significant crashes is now the site of a fatality following a single vehicle crash Tuesday night.

At approximately 10:35 p.m., January 13, 2026, Knox Regional Communications Center received a call reporting a single vehicle rollover crash on Colonel Stairs Road in Friendship. 

First responders arrived and found the operator deceased.

The road was closed for several hours as Knox County Sheriff's deputies investigated the site, which is a sharp bend in the road north of Cornerston Quarry and south of the Colonel Stairs intersection with Hendrickson Road. Part of that prolonged closure was to allow responding units and investigative measures time to make sure that no further specific data would be needed, according to Sheriff Polky, in a followup phone conversation with PenBayPilot.com.

Though that investigation continues, deputies have determined that Joshua Barshiner, 35, of Dixmont, was traveling north on Colonel Stairs Road in a 2015 Nissan Sentra when the vehicle crossed the center line, left the roadway, struck a tree, rolled over, and came to rest on its roof.

The specific location could not be identified on a map as it occured out of sight of the nearest house or mailbox. The nearest house was off in the woods and wasn't visible during the night, according to Polky.

“Mr. Barshiner, who was not secured in a seatbelt, is believed to have died as a result of injuries sustained during the crash,” said Sheriff Polky, in a news release. “The exact cause of the crash is unknown at this time, but speed and unfamiliarity with the area are believed to be the primary factors.”

Based on articles of clothing found in the Sentra, deputies have reached out to the Maine State Prison, in Warren, to assertain whether Barshiner was an employee of that facility. The answer to that question has not been concluded, according to Polky, who, himself, responded to the scene when confirmation came that a fatality had occurred. Polky said he likes to be notified of all fatalities, and to go to the scene when he can, in order to act as a support person to the responders on scene.

“Even though this case seems straight forward, it’s still tough,” he said.

Polky concluded his press release with the following: 

"Emergency incidents like this require many resources and the expertise of multiple professionals. We are fortunate to have had the assistance of the Knox County Communication Center, the Friendship Fire Department, Waldoboro EMS, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office, Maine State Prison, Hall Funeral Homes, and Maine Towing and Collision.

"Our condolences go out to Mr. Barshiner's family as they navigate this difficult time," he said.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com