An Orr’s Island resident was killed Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a vehicle on Route 24, also known as Harpswell Islands Road, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a 911 call at approximately 2:49 p.m. reporting a motor vehicle crash near the intersection of Route 24 and Tower Hill Road, just north of the Orr’s Island fire station.
Investigators said a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Alton Wyman, 41, of Topsham, was traveling northbound when it crossed the centerline and struck a parked SUV on the southbound shoulder of the road. Authorities said the SUV had last been driven by Jean Appleby Johnson, 71, of Orr’s Island, who was outside the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Despite life-saving efforts by first responders, Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Wyman was transported to Maine Medical Center with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The crash remains under investigation by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Brunswick Police Department and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office.
Route 24 is the only roadway connecting Bailey Island and Orr’s Island to Great Island and the mainland. The road was temporarily closed while emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene and reopened at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Johnson was a longtime community member with an extensive background in public service and nonprofit leadership. A native of South Carolina, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Virginia. Her career included work on Capitol Hill and in the White House, as well as consulting roles specializing in interim executive leadership for nonprofit organizations.
She served as a trustee of James Madison University and held board positions with the Maine Maritime Museum and the Orr’s Island Library. Johnson was also a member of the Maine Women’s Giving Tree and previously chaired the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.
Johnson began vacationing in Maine in 1978 and moved to the state full time in 2006. She and her husband, Charlie, lived on Orr’s Island. She is survived by two sons who reside in Washington, D.C.
The incident continues to be reviewed by authorities.
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