Maine Warden Killed in Plane Crash to Be Honored With Procession

A procession will be held Wednesday morning to honor a Maine game warden who was killed in a plane crash earlier this week.

According to WGME, Maine Game Warden Joshua Tibbetts of New Gloucester died Tuesday morning after the small plane he was piloting crashed in Avon.

Tibbetts was an 18-year veteran of the Maine Warden Service and had held a commercial pilot’s license since 2020.

Officials say Tibbetts was in the area helping crews on the ground who were restocking several ponds with fish. Authorities say there was no communication from Tibbetts before the crash, so it is not yet known whether mechanical issues may have played a role.

Maine State Police will investigate the crash. The FAA and NTSB are expected to be on scene Wednesday.

A procession for Tibbetts is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, traveling from Augusta to Newport along I-95 northbound.

During the procession, northbound on-ramps will be closed to traffic. The Trafton Road and Rice Rips Road overpasses will also be closed. Once the procession passes through Waterville, the roads and on-ramps are expected to reopen.