KNOX COUNTY — The hours just after midnight, November 1 were busy for law enforcement and other emergency responders in three Knox County towns. The 1 - 3 a.m. time slot came on the heels of Halloween, however, there was no treat for anyone involved.

In Cushing, an approximate 12:55 a.m. third party report of a vehicle on its side near 813 Cushing Road drew deputies and Cushing Fire and Rescue to the scene. The pickup truck was located on its side in a ditch, and eventually, deputies found two seriously injured people in the woods near another house one tenth of a mile away.

In the meantime, a Thomaston officer in Thomaston was providing a ride home at approximately 1:05 a.m. to a person involved in an earlier incident. As the cruiser headed north on Route 1 near 444 Main Street, a person in the moving vehicle in front of the cruiser jumped from that vehicle, injuring himself upon landing on the pavement. The officer attempted to pull over the fleeing vehicle, but eventually returned to the injured person. Thomaston EMS was called to assess the bleeding man.

Back in Cushing, Warren EMS was requested at the rollover scene, and then a paramedic was requested, which meant calling upon Rockland EMS. LifeFlight of Maine was then requested to meet the Warren ambulance, with the Rockland paramedic, at the hospital for an injured male with severe abdominal pain. A few minutes later, Cushing Rescue followed with the other patient with an injury to the head.

Creek Hill towed the vehicle and the road was reopened.

The rider in the Thomaston cruiser was driven the last portion of the ride home by a deputy who was passing through the area toward the Cushing rollover. Eventually, the person who’d leaped from the moving vehicle declined further medical attention and was given a ride home by the Thomaston officer.

Prior to 1:45 a.m., a vehicle operator in Rockport failed to stop for police in that town. That officer then forwarded the vehicle’s description ahead to the Camden police officer on duty. Before that information was received, however, Officer Nathan Andrick witnessed a vehicle matching that ensuing description pass him on Hosmer Pond Road, according to a Camden Police Dept. news release. Minutes later, at 1:48 a.m., Andrick came upon that same vehicle again, but this time the silver 2007 Chevy Trailblazer was overturned onto its roof on Mechanic Street near Ferncliff Drive.

North East Mobile Health and Camden firefighters were called to the scene, and because there was a second patient, Rockport EMS also responded.

The driver, Dominick Bernardi of Rockland, was found outside the vehicle, while the passenger remained inside. At first, that passenger appeared to be unresponsive, elevating the stress level of the responding crews. However, by the time EMS arrived, the person was returning to consciousness.

Both individuals were subsequently transported to MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital for the treatment of minor injuries, according to Camden police.

Following a preliminary investigation, police are considering excessive speed as a factor in the crash. However, the investigation remains open.

“We extend our appreciation to the Camden Fire Department, Rockport Police Department, Knox County Communications Center, Rockport EMS, Northeast Ambulance, and Camden Exxon for their collaborative support in responding to this incident,” said Camden Police.