Driver accused of hitting, killing MaineDOT workers on I95 arrested, charged
By Adam Bartow
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AUGUSTA, Maine (WMTW) — The woman who was driving the minivan that hit and killed two Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) workers in Waterville in January has now been arrested.
Samantha Tupper, 34, of Augusta, was indicted by a Kennebec County Grand Jury on Thursday and then arrested at a home in Augusta at about 6:30 a.m. on Friday. She is charged with two counts of manslaughter, two counts of aggravated driving to endanger, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of aggravated assault.
Her bail was set at $50,000 and she was being held at the Kennebec County Jail.
Tupper was not hurt in the crash on an Interstate 95 overpass, a collision that killed MaineDOT employees and Waterville residents James Brown and Dwayne Campbell.
Maine State Police officials said the crash happened at about 9:35 a.m. on Jan. 13 near mile marker 127 on the southbound side of the bridge that carries I-95 over Kennedy Memorial Drive.
Police said MaineDOT had closed the travel lane at the end of the southbound on-ramp from Kennedy Memorial Drive by using cones and a posted sign as part of bridge construction work.
Investigators said a gray Kia minivan driven by Tupper failed to stop at the posted stop sign and tried to enter the left lane of I-95 south, where it was struck by a tractor-trailer that was traveling southbound on the highway.
The collision forced the minivan into the work zone, where three MaineDOT employees who were working at the site were struck.
Police said the impact sent two of the three workers, Brown and Campbell, off the bridge and onto Kennedy Memorial Drive below. Both of those workers were pronounced dead at the scene. The third MaineDOT worker who was struck by the minivan was transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries that are believed to be non-life-threatening.
The Maine Service Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union, said Brown, 60, worked for MaineDOT for more than 12 years while Campbell, 51, worked for the agency for more than 23 years.
8 Investigates examined Tupper’s driving record and found that she was caught speeding multiple times and has committed other vehicle infractions. At one point, Tupper’s license was suspended and she was later convicted of driving on a suspended license.
In addition, 8 Investigates found Tupper has a criminal history that includes numerous convictions for drug possession, drug trafficking and theft. Tupper has been in jail multiple times dating back to 2017.
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