Illegal Alien Driving on Maine Permit Hits, Kills Pedestrian in Lewiston

An illegal alien from Africa was behind the wheel of a 2013 Buick Verano that hopped the curb in Lewiston's Kennedy Park Friday afternoon, and he had a Maine driver’s permit.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Lionel Francisco, 31, into custody Friday evening after he was arrested by the Lewiston Police Department. He is currently being held in New Hampshire at the Strafford County Correctional Facility awaiting deportation back to Angola.

According to a press release from the Lewiston Police Department, the accident occurred at approximately 12:55 p.m. Friday. Police said a 911 caller reported that a woman walking along the Park Street side of Kennedy Park, directly across from City Hall, had been struck by a vehicle.

When officers arrived, they found that the Buick had jumped the curb on Park Street and entered Kennedy Park before coming to a stop. The pedestrian, identified as 48-year-old Elizabeth Camacho of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was initially transported to Central Maine Medical Center, then later airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland. She died of her injuries later that evening.

Police said Francisco remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators. He was driving on a learner’s permit at the time of the crash.

Non-citizens can obtain driving permits and driver's licenses in Maine. However, they are required to provide more information than Maine citizens.

The Lewiston Police Department’s Accident Reconstruction Team and Criminal Investigation Division continue to investigate the incident.