SWEDEN — A Porter man died on Monday after crashing his motorcycle into tractor-trailer after fleeing from police along Waterford Road.

Police said 42-year-old Thomas Welch died in spite of efforts by an Oxford County Sheriff’s deputy and witnesses who made attempts to revive him.

According to an Oxford County Sheriff’s Office news release, at about 10 a.m. Monday, Sgt. Timothy Ontengco began pursuing Welch, who was traveling at high speeds along Waterford Road.

“In the vicinity of Haskell Hill Road, the motorcycle crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer unit traveling northbound,” according to the release. “Sgt. Ontengco, along with witnesses, performed CPR and attempted to provided first aid to the driver of the motorcycle. Those measures were unsuccessful and the driver died at the scene.”

Welch had been riding a 1986 Honda GL 1200 registered out of New Hampshire, police said.

The tractor-trailer was a 2025 Peterbilt registered to Dube Environmental Inc. out of Sidney, police said. The truck was driven by 52-year-old Shawn Witham of Rome. He was not injured in the crash.

The truck, disabled in the crash, had been hauling sewage from the Fryeburg Fair.

In compliance with all required reporting procedures and Sheriff’s Office standard operating policies, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, the Oxford County District Attorney’s Office, and the Maine State Police were notified of the fatality, according to the release. Several agencies are involved with the ongoing investigation of this motor vehicle fatality.