OFFICIAL RELEASE · ORIGINAL ISSUER HEADLINE

Maine State Police Arrest Ohio Man Following I-95 Incident in Hampden

Maine State Police

Issuer publication date: September 1, 2026

Added to The State & Nation: October 15, 2026

Publication date correction · 2026-10-15

The issuer dated this release September 1, 2026. That date is now shown above; the archive’s added date has not changed.

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A factual summary is pending editorial review. The complete official release is reproduced below with issuer attribution and a direct link to the original publication.

Official release

Source material from Maine State Police. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

September 1, 2026

Maine State Police

On Monday, August 31, 2026, at approximately 3:13 PM, the Bangor Regional Communications Center received a report of a Toyota Tacoma operating erratically and weaving in and out of traffic near mile marker 163 in Plymouth. A Trooper located the vehicle traveling northbound on I-95 in Carmel and initiated a traffic stop near mile marker 173 in Hampden.

During the stop, the Trooper spoke with the driver, who became argumentative and initially refused to identify himself. The Trooper detected the odor of alcohol and observed an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. A female passenger was also observed with facial injuries. When the Trooper asked the driver to exit the vehicle, he refused and then fled the traffic stop at a high rate of speed. A short time later, the Trooper located the Tacoma after it had crashed in the median and came to rest on the southbound side of the interstate across from the Hampden Rest Area. The driver fled the vehicle on foot into the wooded median.

With assistance from a Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team, Ratliffe was located hiding in the woods along the interstate and taken into custody. The driver, identified as 33-year-old William Ratliffe of South Euclid, Ohio was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital for medical clearance before being taken to the Penobscot County Jail. He was charged with Domestic Violence Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon, Domestic Violence Assault, OUI Refusal, Operating Without a License, Refusing to Submit to Arrest or Detention, and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Crash. Additional charges are possible.

The female passenger was transported to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center for evaluation of her injuries. Maine State Police was assisted by the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Hampden Police Department, Hampden Fire & EMS and the Maine Department of Transportation.

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Maine State Police Arrest Ohio Man Following I-95 Incident in Hampden

Maine State Police

2026

September

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https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/media-center/public-releases/maine-state-police-arrest-ohio-man-following-i-95-incident-hampden

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