On September 28, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Maine State Police received a call from the Portland Police Department regarding a complaint they had received from a truck driver, who believed he may have struck a pedestrian on the Maine Turnpike.    

Michael Kilmer,  68, of West Virginia, initially thought he had hit a deer northbound near mile 32 in Biddeford, according to a Sept. 29 news release from the Maine Dept. of Public Safety. After reviewing his in-truck camera, Kilmer contacted local police to report that he had struck a pedestrian who was running across the turnpike.

Troopers narrowed down the exact location where the male was struck and directed rescue to the area. 

Troopers located the male, identified as Jared Felling, 39, of Ellsworth, seriously injured, in the tall marshy area just before the exit.

Felling suffered serious injuries to his legs and head and was in the early stages of hypothermia, the release said. Troopers provided aid until Kennebunk Fire Rescue arrived, and transported Felling to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where his injuries, though serious, were considered non-life-threatening.

"Investigating troopers uncovered that Felling had a history of criminal activities, having recently been caught stealing from vehicles off the Biddeford exit," the release said. 

Maine State Police alleged that he: "was actively fleeing Biddeford Police when he decided to cross the turnpike to evade them. Additionally, investigators determined that Felling removed his court-ordered ankle monitor earlier in the day in Ellsworth, and the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office had issued a temporary arrest warrant for Violation of Conditional Release."