A 32-year-old man was killed in a one-car crash in Alton on Thursday night or early Friday morning about a mile from where his mother died in a head-on car crash a week ago on the same roadway, Maine State Police said.

A passing motorist found the wreck along Route 16 and reported it about 9:30 a.m.

Killed was Alexander Gardner, whose red Chevrolet pickup truck slammed into a large tree at a high rate of speed near a curve in the roadway in the Penobscot County town.

Police are trying to retrace Gardner’s steps, and are asking anyone with information about his whereabouts, or anyone who saw his truck during the night to call Maine State Police in Bangor at 973-3700.

Gardner’s mother, Robin Gardner, 63, was killed last Friday when her 2008 Ford Escape was struck head-on by a 2009 Jeep Cherokee driven by Tyler Creighton, 25, of Medford. Creighton was charged with manslaughter.

It was unknown whether the crashes are believed to be related. A state police spokesman could not immediately be reached Friday afternoon.