SCARBOROUGH — A man who fell yesterday afternoon from an overpass on to the road below died last night at Maine Medical Center, according to police.

A 52-year-old West Enfield man fell or jumped from the Interstate-295 Scarborough Connector overpass above U.S. Route 1 and was struck by a car Wednesday afternoon. According to Sgt. Rick Rouse, the man had family in Scarborough and was believed to have been staying with them. 

Police could not confirm whether the man fell or jumped from the overpass, approximately 30 feet above the road. The victim, whose name is not being released pending notification of his relatives, was rushed to Maine Medical Center with what police described as “serious injuries.”

O’Neill said the police department had received several calls around 2 p.m. about a man standing on the overpass. No car was left at the scene, leading officers to assume the man walked there. 

Officers on scene detained the driver of the car that struck the victim, a 2002 Buick Regal registered in Maine, Rouse said. As a matter of procedure, police drew blood from the driver to ensure he was not impaired at the time of the accident, though Rouse said officers had no reason to believe he was. 

Police are still investigating the circumstances of the man’s fall.

The southbound lane of Route 1 was closed for more than an hour after the accident, but was open again by 4:30 p.m.

Without the victim’s name, Maine Medical Center could not release any details about the man’s death to reporters. More details to come as they become available.

Mario Moretto can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 106 or mmoretto@theforecaster.net. Follow Mario on Twitter: @riocarmine.

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Scarborough Police Sgt. Eugene O’Neill speaks with reporters around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday. Police and emergency rescue had closed U.S. Route 1. southbound between Pleasant Hill Road and the Interstate-295 Scarborough Connector overpass to investigate an accident in which a man fell or jumped from the overpass into the street below, where he was struck by a car. The man died at Maine Medical Center around 10 p.m. Wednesday night.

A police officer directs traffic on U.S. Route 1 southbound near Science Parks Road Wednesday in Scarborough. The stretch of road was closed while police investigated an incident in which a man fell or jumped from the Interstate-295 connector over U.S. Route 1 before being struck by a car.