PARIS – Drivers involved in a head-on collision on Route 26 just south of the KBS Building Systems plant escaped serious injury largely through the use of seat belts, police officer Nate Bowie said Tuesday.

“If either party hadn’t been wearing their seat belts it would have been a different story,” Bowie said.

The collision occurred about 8:50 a.m. when Scott Austin, 27, of Lisbon dozed off at the wheel and his 2005 Ford Focus drifted from the northbound to the southbound lane. Austin’s car collided with a 2001 Chevy Silverado pickup truck, driven by Krista Daniels, 52, of West Paris.

Both vehicles were totaled in the accident, Bowie said. He said the airbags deployed, but seat belt use was the primary reason neither Austin nor Daniels were injured.

“A lot of people think an airbag is going to save you but an airbag doesn’t always keep you in the vehicle,” he said.

Bowie said police closed a portion of the highway from Phillips Road to Old Route 26 for about 90 minutes to clear debris.