Bucksport Teacher Believed to Have Jumped from Bridge

The body of a Bucksport teacher was pulled from the Penobscot River in Prospect Sunday morning. Police say it appears the woman committed suicide by jumping from the Penobscot Narrows Bridge.

Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland said in a press release that a car belonging to 46-year-old Traci Merriam was found parked on the bridge around 4 a.m. and a suicide note was found inside. Merriam was a fifth grade teacher at Bucksport Middle School.

Police say it appears that the woman jumped from the bridge sometime during the night. Her body was recovered at 7 a.m. by the Maine Marine Patrol. An autopsy is scheduled at the State Medical Examiner's Office in Augusta. The Penobscot Narrow Bridge spans the Penobscot River between Prospect and Verona Island.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Call 1-888-568-1112 for support.