GOULDSBORO — Police say alcohol and excessive speed were likely factors in a triple fatal accident Saturday just after 7 p.m. on the West Bay Road. A 2011 Chevrolet Silverado plunged off the road, striking trees and killing the driver and his two passengers. Alcohol was found in the destroyed vehicle, police said.

Gouldsboro Police Chief John Shively told The Ellsworth American on Sunday that the truck’s driver, Jessob Hayward, 22, of Gouldsboro; a 19-year-old passenger, Lucas Pottle of Steuben; and an 18-year-old male passenger died instantly in the crash. The vehicle was split in half off the West Bay Road about 1.5 miles from Route 1.

“It looked like speed and alcohol were involved,” Shively said Sunday. He said the Maine State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine if alcohol was a contributing cause. He said the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office also is doing an accident reconstruction to verify how the crash occurred. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

“This death was needless and tragic. I wish people would understand the risks involved in operating a motor vehicle and the importance of using due care and following traffic laws,” the chief said.