NORTH BERWICK — Police said a medical examiner will try to determine what caused the death of a 72-year-old man whose Ford F-150 pickup truck-crossed a rural road and slammed into an embankment Wednesday morning.
Robert Tapley was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, on Linscott Hill Road, off Morrell’s Mills Road, just over the town line from Sanford in North Berwick.
North Berwick Police Chief Stephen Peasley said there were no skid marks or signs that Tapley, who lived on Turkey Lane in North Berwick, attempted to apply the brakes.
“He drove off the road and struck an embankment,” Peasley said.
Sanford Fire Department responded first to the scene at about 10:35 a.m.; it was originally thought the crash had happened in Sanford.
Peasley said the medical examiner’s office will look at whether a medical condition could have caused the crash.
A dog traveling with Tapley survived the crash unharmed.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less