Town of Kittery Press Release - Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash on Route 1 in Kittery

At approximately 3:17 PM on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, Kittery Public Safety Dispatch received calls of a serious head-on motor vehicle crash in the vicinity of 510 U.S. Route 1 in Kittery, Maine.  Kittery Police Officers responded to the calls and found two vehicles which had both sustained heavy front-end damage.  Fire units from the Ogunquit Fire Department and an ambulance from the Newington Fire Department were providing coverage to the Kittery Fire Department due to the ongoing fire incident at the Days Inn in Kittery, and responded to the scene. 

The lone male operator of a 2022 Nissan Pickup was entrapped in the vehicle and unresponsive.  The operator of the vehicle was extricated and administered life saving measures by E.M.S. and Police personnel.  Those efforts were terminated per Medical Control at approximately 3:49 PM.  The male operator was pronounced deceased at that time.  The operator of the second vehicle, a 2017 Gray BMW SUV, was uninjured but was evaluated by medical personnel on scene.  That operator refused medical treatment.

Preliminary investigation and witness statements indicate that the Nissan Pickup was travelling northbound on Route 1 and the BMW was traveling southbound.  The Nissan Pickup drifted over the center lane, traveling northbound in the southbound lane when it collided head-on with the BMW.

The deceased operator is identified as 74-year-old Michael Cox of Kittery, Maine.  It appears Mr. Cox may have suffered a medical event prior to the crash, causing his vehicle to veer into the oncoming lane. 

In addition to the Ogunquit and Newington Fire Departments, the Kittery Police Department was assisted on the scene by the York Police Department, York Beach Ambulance and the Fire Chiefs from York Beach and Kennebunk.

The crash is still under investigation.