Plot Twist: The Strange Story of Douglas Parkhurst
He became a hero in the last moment of his life—but did he redeem himself?
By Steve Huff
It was the first day of June, the unofficial beginning of summer, and a maroon car was careening across a Little League baseball field in Sanford, Maine’s Goodall Park. Players rushed to get out of the way as the driver—police later identified her as 52-year-old Carol Sharrow— barely missed them, curving toward home base then away again. She was looking for an exit and spotted a gate. More kids were in danger on the other side.
A witness named Justin Clifton later told a Maine news station what happened next. He said he “saw the car pull out of the […] and this guy had some kids with him.”
Clifton said that when the car “came to the gate, the older guy pushed the kids right out of the way. He took the hit for the kids.”
So, Douglas Parkhurst, age 68, died taking that “hit for the kids.” The Vietnam vet was the hero of the moment and a tragic one at that. A man who in photos appeared ruddy, fit for his age, with a winning smile. It was a moving, powerful story.
For the second time in five years, Douglas Parkhurst’s name was in the news along with the phrase “hit-and-run driver.”
The first time was a very different story.