JAY — A Livermore Falls man is accused of hitting a local man with an ax before running him over Friday evening, Police Chief Richard Caton IV said Monday.

Kirk Smith Franklin County Detention Center photo

Kirk M. Smith, 45, was arrested on charges of Class B aggravated assault,  aggravated driving to endanger, and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, both Class C, he said. After review of the case by the District Attorney’s Office, only the aggravated charges remained.

A conviction for aggravated assault is punishable by up to 10 years in prison; for aggravated driving it’s up to five years in prison.

The 45-year-old Jay man was injured and taken by a NorthStar EMS ambulance to a hospital.

Police responded to the report of the assaults about 5:27 p.m. to 218 Belanger Road in Jay.

Caton said the man was threatened with an ax. One witness said he was struck in the head, another witness reported he was struck in the arm, Caton said. After the man was hit with an ax, Smith fled the scene. Then his vehicle knocked him down to the ground and ran over his leg, Caton said.

When officer David Morin arrived, he saw the victim sitting with his right leg elevated, according to Morin’s affidavit filed with a Farmington court.

“I observed a cut and scrape on his right hand and arm. His lower right leg was swollen and appeared to have a big bump,” Morin wrote.

He spoke to two witnesses, and they both identified Smith as the attacker, he wrote.

“The witnesses stated they saw Kirk intentionally swing the ax at the victim,” Morin wrote. “They also saw Kirk drive his vehicle over the victim’s leg. The victim stated he was unable to walk.”

It is believed that the victim was run over by the wheel of the vehicle.

It was a dispute over a woman, Caton said.

Police located Smith at another residence in Jay, he said.

Officers Troy Reed and Rex Schweighofer assisted Morin at the scene.

Smith, who was held over the weekend at the Franklin County Detention Center in Farmington, had his bail set Monday at $250 and a supervised release agreement.