Joe Sokol, a reporter for The Maine Wire, was confronted by an unidentified man while reporting outside a Bangor methadone clinic in Maine on Thursday morning. After accusing Sokol of invading people's privacy, the man drove off but returned about 20 seconds later to speed towards Sokol at close range, nearly hitting him and knocking over his equipment. The incident is under investigation by the Bangor Police Department, which has not released further details due to an ongoing probe. Sokol was unharmed but posted on X (formerly Twitter) calling for justice and questioning if the clinic incited the attack.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Thursday, Joe Sokol, a reporter for The Maine Wire, narrowly avoided being run over by an unknown driver outside the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center in Bangor, Maine. In video footage, Sokol was seen confronting a man who accused him of invading people's privacy while filming from public property near the clinic. After the confrontation, the driver allegedly returned and nearly hit Sokol with his vehicle, prompting Sokol to record the license plate number as the car drove away. Additional security footage showed how close the vehicle came to Sokol during this incident. The reporter accused the individual of being possibly intoxicated but admitted it was difficult to ascertain without certainty. Sokol also approached the clinic’s owner, accusing her of negligence after the alleged attempt on his life. The Maine Wire expressed their willingness to cooperate with any investigation into the incident, providing vehicle information and other details about the driver's background.
Written for “Journalist Targeted By Driver” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Shocking video captured the moment a crazed Jeep driver allegedly attempted to run over a conservative outlet's reporter shortly after confronting him.
uncertain
driver → capture → him
Maine reporter Joe Sokol, who works for The Maine Wire, was nearly hit by a furious man, who police have not identified, on Thursday morning as he reported outside a Bangor methadone clinic.
asserted
he → work → clinic
Sokol was working from public property near the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center on Odlin Road when the confrontation ensued, the Maine Wire reported.
asserted
Wire → work → Road
The driver, who was wearing a black hooded jacket and a black cap with green sunglasses on top of it, accused Sokol of 'invading people's privacy' as he spoke out of the blue Jeep Compass's rolled-down window.
asserted
he → wear → window
'By being in public with a camera and doing a report?' Sokol said.
asserted
Sokol → do → report
After the driver told Sokol that he was 'videoing across the road,' the reporter asked him what he could do.
uncertain
he → tell → what
The man chuckled without answering and appeared to drive away.
asserted
man → chuckle → ?
Sokol continued speaking to camera and accused the driver of being 'essentially, probably intoxicated,' though he added that there was 'no way to tell.'
asserted
he → continue → driver
However, the man allegedly returned roughly 20 seconds after apparently leaving and angrily zoomed through the scene at full speed within inches of Sokol, who urgently moved out of the way as his equipment fell to the ground.
uncertain
equipment → return → ground
Joe Sokol, a reporter for The Maine Wire, was confronted by an angry man while reporting outside a Bangor methadone clinic on Thursday morning
The footage captured near the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center showed how the man's blue Jeep Compass closely whizzed past Sokol mid-report
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Compass → confront → report
The Bangor Police Department told the Daily Mail on Thursday afternoon that it was investigating the report about Sokol.
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it → tell → Sokol
However, law enforcement said that it could not release any further details while the probe was ongoing.
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probe → say → details
Footage after the incident showed Sokol speaking to a woman, who has not been identified, near the clinic.
asserted
who → show → clinic
'Your patient just tried to run me over,' Sokol told her.
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Sokol → try → me
'And we have cameras.'
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we → have → cameras
The woman repeatedly urged Sokol to 'get off the property' and did not address the apparent attempt to run him over.
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woman → urge → him
'You want an assault charge?' Sokol replied.
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Sokol → want → charge
The Maine Wire said on X that the 'chilling' footage showed 'some lunatic' who 'just attempted to murder our reporter.'
It added that it would take 'all necessary actions' to demand justice for Sokol.
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it → say → Sokol
Sokol was 'unharmed and safe' after the attempt to run him over, according to The Maine Wire
Footage released by The Maine Wire showed how the man came extremely close to Sokol during the incident
The footage, captioned by the outlet, car zoomed by and knocked over the equipment Sokol was using outside the clinic
Sokol addressed the incident on Thursday afternoon, calling on others to watch the 'shocking footage.
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Sokol → run → footage
'
'Was this attempted murder incited by the methadone clinic?' Sokol wrote on X.
The Maine Wire's editor-in-chief, Steve Robinson, said the driver 'identified Sokol as a journalist and expressed a clear intent to stop him from conducting routine journalism from public property.'
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driver → attempt → property
He also called what happened an attempted killing, according to the outlet.
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what → call → outlet
'Sokol's quick-thinking and training immediately allowed him to preserve the license plate,' Robinson continued.
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Robinson → allow → plate
Robinson added that Sokol was 'unharmed and safe' after the attempt to run him over.
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Sokol → add → him
He said the outlet would cooperate fully into an investigation that could lead to 'any nearby accessories to attempted murder who may have provided this individual with intoxicating substances' before the incident.
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who → say → incident
An unnamed woman repeatedly told Sokol to 'get off the property' in the moments after what he said was an attempted murder
Sokol was at the methadone clinic (pictured), which offers treatment for adults suffering from opioid addiction, to 'ask questions'
A statement from The Maine Wire said Sokol was at the methadone clinic to 'ask questions.'
asserted
Sokol → tell → 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.
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clinic → receive → data
'This is essentially a taxpayer funded drug dealing operation at the heart of Bangor, Maine,' the outlet said on Facebook.
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outlet → fund → Facebook
The Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center website says it offers outpatient treatment for adults who suffer from opioid addiction.
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who → say → addiction
The center offers medication-assisted treatment with methadone, a powerful synthetic opioid that can delay withdrawal symptoms.
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that → offer → symptoms
The Daily Mail has reached out to Sokol and Acadia Healthcare, which operates the Bangor treatment center, for further comment.
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which → reach → comment
The Aporia
