Motorcyclist Mark Belleisle, 58, seriously injured when he strikes police cruiser making U-turn on U.S. Route 1 in Belfast, Maine

The Waldo County Sheriff's office says Sgt. Matthew Cook of the Belfast Police Department was driving a marked police SUV Monday evening when he saw a car in the oncoming lane commit a traffic violation. Cook activated his emergency lights and tried to make a U-turn to pursue that car. A motorcycle that had been following the cruiser then crashed into the driver's side of the cruiser as it was making the turn. The driver, 58-year-old Mark Belleisle of Swanville, suffered broken bones and was hospitalized in stable condition.

The accident involving the Belfast Police Department cruiser and the motorcycle happened at about 5:45 p.m., according to a media release issued Tuesday morning by the Waldo County Sheriff'€™s Office. BELFAST, Maine '€” An injured motorcyclist needed to be transported by LifeFlight of Maine helicopter Monday afternoon for medical treatment and traffic on U.S. Route 1 was detoured for hours after a police officer tried to make a U-turn on the Belfast Veterans Memorial Bridge. Trooper Michael Pion of the Maine State Police is reconstructing the accident scene, and the sheriff'€™s office is continuing the investigation. Nicholas Oettinger and Deputy Wiley McVety of the sheriff'€™s office responded to the scene, with Oettinger the primary investigator for the accident. He is reported to be in stable condition, according to the report from the sheriff'€™s office.

The Waldo County Sheriff's office says Sgt. Matthew Cook of the Belfast Police Department was driving a marked police SUV Monday evening when he saw a car in the oncoming lane commit a traffic violation. Cook activated his emergency lights and tried to make a U-turn to pursue that car. A motorcycle that had been following the cruiser then crashed into the driver's side of the cruiser as it was making the turn.