Police pursuit leads to arrest of 2nd man in Maine death investigation

CUSHING, Maine (AP) — An Augusta man arrested following a police pursuit and crash became the second person to be charged in connection with the death of a man in the coastal community of Cushing, police said Wednesday.

Jason Hewett, 39, was charged with manslaughter after his arrest Tuesday, four days after another man, Mark Gagne, 41, of Cushing, was charged with hindering apprehension and abuse of a corpse, police said.

The victim’s identity has not been announced. Law enforcement officials were awaiting positive identification by the state medical examiner and notification of relatives, an official said Wednesday.

Hewett led police on a pursuit Tuesday afternoon that ended when he drove into a ditch and onto the lawn of a business in Augusta while trying to avoid spike mats, officials said. He refused to come out of the vehicle, prompting a response from the state police tactical team and crisis negotiation team, before he surrendered four hours later, police said.

Gagne’s lawyer did not immediately return a phone message. It was unclear if Hewett had a lawyer.

State Police were at the Cushing crime scene Friday and Saturday. Detectives declined to comment on the investigation. State Police were being assisted by deputies in Kennebec and Lincoln counties, along with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.