VAN BUREN, Maine — No charges are expected to be filed in connection with the fatal crash in late August in which a Van Buren ambulance struck and killed an 8-year-old girl who was crossing the road near her home.
After reviewing the circumstances, the Aroostook County district attorney’s office determined that there was no negligence, according to Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The crash occurred on Aug. 27, when Emma Cormier attempted to cross Main Street around Kennedy Terrace at 4 p.m. Moss identified the driver of the ambulance as 46-year-old Amanda Skidgel of Van Buren.
Ambulance workers gave aid at the scene, but Cormier did not survive.
Police said the ambulance was not responding to an emergency at the time of the incident, and that speed was not a factor.
The crash occurred just two days after Cormier turned 8 years old. Members of the community mourned her loss, with the library flying its flag at half staff. The Van Buren District School, along with the Aroostook Mental Health Center and surrounding school districts, provided additional mental health resources for students.
Just one week later, a fundraiser started in support of Cormier’s family had nearly reached its $30,000 goal. The fundraiser will help with funeral expenses, medical bills and loss of income for the family.
“[Cormier’s] kindness and compassion were evident in how she cared for others,” the fundraiser’s message read. “Though her time here with us was too brief, the impact she made will be forever felt.”
