CAMDEN — Police in Camden have charged a Lincolnville man with criminal mischief, leaving the scene of an accident, unauthorized use of property and operating after suspension following an incident Tuesday evening, Jan. 23, which left gas leaking from two 1,000 propane tanks behind a Camden laundromat.

Camden Police Department Detective Curt Andrick said Jan. 25 that Nicholas Winter, 19, of Lincolnville, was arrested in Northport by Waldo County Sheriff’s Office deputies on unrelated charges and was subsequently charged by Camden police for the tank incident that took place behind the Clean Bee Laundry at the Reny’s Plaza on Route 1.

On Jan. 23, just after 6:30 p.m., people inside the Clean Bee Laundry on Elm Street in Camden heard a ruckus out back and then caught the scent of the propane additive used to alert people to gas leaks. 

Someone also witnessed a red pickup driving away.

Camden had put out an all points bulletin on the truck, which is how Waldo County Sheriff’s deputies were aware that Camden was searching for the driver, according to Waldo County Deputy Sheriff Jason Trundy. Deputies called Camden police and the dots were connected.

The truck had possibly gotten stuck, and the truck’s plow, apparently, had gotten snagged in the black iron piping that runs from the two large, 1,000-gallon, 16-foot-long tanks behind the laundromat, and which were protected from traffic by concrete Jersey barriers.

“People in the laundromat heard a truck thrashing about and saw it happen,” said Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley.

Camden firefighters arrived to discover the propane gas leaking from the pipes, and quickly shut the system down.

The small paved area behind the laundromat is shared with a Reny’s loading dock, and two back doors, one for k2 Music Store and the other for a consignment shop.

The weather at 6:30 p.m. had produced a drenching rain, and melting snow created icy conditions.

Coincidentally, Camden police had received a call just earlier in the evening about a red pickup with an attached plow doing donuts in the Hannaford parking lot.

On Jan. 24, crews were on scene making repairs to the propane system and Andrick said Friday that damage estimates were being prepared.