After Three Months, Still No Charges for Illegal Alien Who Caused Car Crash That Killed Maine Woman

by Edward Tomic | Aug 1, 2024

Over three months since an illegal alien caused a car crash on I-95 in Wells that left a Maine woman dead and her husband in critical condition, authorities remain silent on the investigation and on whether the migrant will ever be charged with a crime.

On the morning of Friday, April 26, police and emergency vehicles responded to a four-car pileup near Exit 20 on I-95 in Wells.

According to a Maine Department of Public Safety (DPS) statement at the time, an initial investigation found that 23-year-old Oguzhan Cildir caused the crash when he struck a minivan and a pickup truck while driving a Toyota Prius.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation informed the Maine Wire that Cildir did not have a driver’s license and that Maine State Police (MSP) on-site called a local U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official after quickly learning that Cildir was in the U.S. without legal status.

The source also told the Maine Wire that at least five eyewitnesses told MSP troopers that Cildir was operating his Prius recklessly and at a high rate of speed prior to causing the multi-vehicle crash.

The driver of the pickup truck, 53-year-old Gloria Cascio of Albion, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband, in critical condition, had to be transported to Maine Medical Center via helicopter.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security Official told the Maine Wire that the CBP’s resident agent in Albion was contacted when Cildir was arrested at the scene of the accident because the arresting agency found that he “had immigration status from when he crossed on the Southwest border.”

The arresting agency then reportedly turned the illegal alien over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) for further processing.

It has been 97 days since the crash, and York County District Attorney Kathryn Slattery and the Maine State Police (MSP) have not confirmed whether Cildir has, or will ever be, charged in relation to the crash.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told the Maine Wire in May that the State Police were still awaiting a toxicology report to determine whether Cildir was operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

Slattery stated on Wednesday that the matter remains under investigation by the Maine State Police, and denied claims from a law enforcement source that her office is treating Cildir differently due to his immigration status.

A spokesperson for the Maine DPS told the Maine Wire on Thursday that the investigating State Trooper handling Cildir’s case is currently on vacation, but that the agent is waiting for the reconstruction report on the crash to be finalized.

Once that report is finalized, the spokesperson said, it will go to the York County District Attorney for a review on charges.

Federal officials have not responded to the Maine Wire’s inquiries as to whether Cildir has, in fact, been deported.

Edward Tomic is a reporter for The Maine Wire based in Southern Maine. He grew up near Boston, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Boston University. He can be reached at [email protected]

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