A potentially explosive device recovered during in an early morning traffic stop in Newcastle Monday, Sept. 22 resulted in the arrest of the driver and briefly closed the town’s Main Street.
Deputies with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Main Street on Sept. 22 in Newcastle in response to a traffic violation, according to press release issued by Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, deputies discovered material that appeared to resemble an explosive device, according to Moss. Out of an abundance of caution, the Maine State Police Bomb Team and the Office of State Fire Marshal were called to the scene to examine the item in question.
The device was secured and removed for further evaluation, which will include a laboratory analysis, according to Moss. While the on-site investigation was ongoing, the Newcastle Fire Department closed Newcastle’s Main Street between the Damariscotta-Newcastle bridge and its intersection with River Road for roughly three hours beginning shortly before 3 a.m.
The driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene on an outstanding arrest warrant and transported to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
Given the nature of the evidence found at the scene, the Office of State Fire Marshal has assumed the role of lead investigative agency. The identity of involved partiesis currently being withheld as the investigation continues, according to Moss.
Expressing strong support for his deputies Lincoln County, Sheriff Todd Brackett deferred comments on the investigation to the fire marshal’s office. He acknowledged his office “could have done a better job” putting out some information to address the public’s concerns regarding the road closure.
“I understand there was some anxiety. That was not our intent,” Brackett said.
Until the state’s press release on the subject Tuesday afternoon, the only information available was the Newcastle Fire Department announcements of Main Street’s closing and opening on their Facebook page.
“I am really pleased with my staff,” Brackett said. “They did exactly what they were supposed to do interdicting a very unusual situation and getting a potentially dangerous device off the streets.”
