Clipped YMCA school bus, side-wiped minivan, crashed through cemetery fence

Belfast driver in Mountain Street crash summonsed for no insurance, attaching false plates

Holly S. Edwards
Thu, 12/01/2016 - 8:30pm
Two vehicles ended up going through the iron fence along Mountain View Cemetery late Wednesday afternoon, after one of the drivers told police he had a medical problem, causing him to cross the centerline and collide with not only one but two oncoming vehicles, the other being a Penobscot Bay YMCA school bus. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Mountain Street was closed for about an hour Wednesday afternoon, for an accident that occurred just before 3:30 p.m. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Steve Laite of Camden Exxon begins to remove one of the two vehicles that went through the iron fence and came to rest in Mountain View Cemetery. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Camden firefighters sweep up glass and debris from the crash Wednesday. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
(Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
(Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The driver’s side rear quarter panel and rear bumper of Penobscot Bay YMCA’s school bus were damaged in Wednesday’s crash on Mountain Street. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Stephanie Thostenson-Hammond’s 2004 Toyota passenger van was totaled in the crash. (Courtesy Camden Police Department)
(Courtesy Camden Police Department)
Darren Grindle’s 2006 Subaru SUV was also totaled, and he was summonsed for failure to have an insurance bond and attaching false plates. (Courtesy Camden Police Department)

    CAMDEN — A Belfast man was summonsed for failure to have insurance bond and attaching false plates after he caused an accident on Mountain Street in Camden that involved a Penobscot Bay YMCA school bus with 10 students on board and a minivan.

    According to Camden Police Detective Curt Andrick, 45-year-old Darren M. Grindle of Belfast was driving a 2006 Subaru sport utility vehicle north on Mountain Street, approaching Mountain View Cemetery.

    Traveling in the opposite direction was a 2016 GMC school bus, owned by Penobscot Bay YMCA and being driven by Paul Young, 61, of Warren. On the bus were 10 children, ranging in age from 5 to 13 years old, and another adult.

    Also traveling south on Mountain Street, behind the school bus, was a 2004 Toyota passenger van, being driven by 46-year-old Stephanie Thostenson-Hammond of Lincolnville.

    Andrick said that Grindle reported suffering a medical problem, after which he crossed the centerline and struck the rear of the school bus on the driver's side. Grindle's SUV then continued in the opposite lane of travel and struck Thostenson-Hammond's van, causing her van to spin and go backward through iron fence into the cemetery. Grindle's SUV went forward through the fence, and also came to rest in the cemetery.

    The accident occurred Nov. 30 just before 3:30 p.m. Camden Fire Department and North East Mobile Health responded to the scene.

    Both vehicles were totaled in the accident, and there was heavy damage to the fencing of the cemetery, which is owned by the town of Camden.

    Thostenson-Hammond's side airbags deployed, and the back windows of her van blew out, but she suffered only a sore ankle and refused medical treatment at the scene.

    According to the report, the SUV's airbags did not deploy, and everybody in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt or was otherwise restrained. Grindle was transported by North East Mobile Health with complaints of pain. His passenger, Sarah Campbell, 30, and two children, a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old were not injured.

    The bus driver, Young, was not injured, nor were any of the passengers on the school bus. Andrick said that everybody on the bus was wearing a seat belt.

    Assisting Andrick at the scene were officer Chris Hanson and Sgt. John Tooley.

    Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.

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