Witnesses say man died saving kids lives in hit-and-run at Maine baseball field

Yahoo Sports Contributor

Sat, Jun 2, 2018, 2:55 AM

A man died Friday after being struck by a motorist who drove a car onto a Sanford, Maine, baseball field as teams prepared for a Little League game.

According to the Sanford Police Department, 68-year-old Douglas Parkhurst succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to a nearby hospital. Corporal Matthew Gagne identified 52-year-old Carol Sharrow as the driver. She was arrested by police Friday evening and charged with manslaughter.

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Witnesses say the driver entered through a gate near Goodall Field at around 5:00 p.m.

One witness captured video of the car as it entered the field and did a loop behind home plate. Fortunately, no players were on the field. Reports indicate there were more than 200 people in the stands.

From there, witnesses say the car exited the field and struck Parkhurst on a roadway that encircles the ballpark. The car then exited the facility through a gate. No other injuries were reported.

Several witnesses called Parkhurst a hero. Prior to being struck, he was reportedly pushing kids of out the driver’s path. Another says Parkhurst had tried to close the gate before the car got on the field.

Here’s more from NEWS CENTER Maine:

“There was a ballgame going on at the time,” Cpl. Gagne said, “so the stands were full. There were kids out on the field at the time as well.”

Justin Clifton told NEWS CENTER Maine he was playing basketball when he witnessed the incident.

“I saw the car pull out of the gate right over there,” he said, “and this guy had some kids with him. After the car got off the field, [the driver] came to the gate and the older guy pushed the kids right out of the way. He took the hit for the kids.”

Clifton said he rushed over to Parkhurst and “it did not look good.” He added other people jumped over the fence to get to him.

The details of this story are pretty tough to absorb. It’s clear though that the incident could have been far worse with a little different timing, and certainly without Parkhurst’s heroic actions.

Investigators say they are still searching for a motive in the incident. The investigation will continue on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Sanford Little League has announced that games will continued on as scheduled this weekend.

#UPDATE: Sanford Little League says on Facebook baseball continues this morning at Goodall Field after fatal hit and run. "Let’s come together to show community pride and help these boys feel safe to return to their beloved field."
— WPFO FOX23 (@FOX23Maine) June 2, 2018