Overview
- District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris has directed every county law enforcement agency to treat crashes that injure pedestrians or bicyclists as potential criminal or civil matters and forward full evidence and reports to her office for review.
- Police are required to secure scenes and preserve physical and digital evidence, collect witness statements, and upload complete crash reports for prosecutors to assess charges or civil violations.
- The DA's office said it will issue written guidance for officers, roll out training for departments on evidence and applicable laws, and begin tracking and publishing referral and outcome data as implementation begins.
- The policy was presented as a response to what the DA's office called a deadly 2025 for pedestrians and was publicly endorsed by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine as a step toward accountability for road users.
- Proposed civil penalties cited in local coverage include fines up to $5,000 and possible license suspension for up to four years, but broader effects on charging patterns and prosecutions will depend on the office's reviews and upcoming data.