HARTFORD — Two men appeared to escape serious injury after the car they were in left Route 219 and crashed into the trees Thursday.

One of the trees hit by the car, driven by Singh Rai of California, ended up landing on the car. An OnStar navigation system notified emergency crews of the crash, according to Oxford County Sheriff’s Deputy George Cayer.

Rai told Cayer he lost control of the vehicle on a curve because of a wet  road surface. Spotty thunderstorms had rumbled through the area earlier in the day but Cayer said it appears Rai was driving too fast for the curve and road conditions.

The late model Saturn left the road for several hundred feet, hitting trees along the way until one fell on the car. The cars airbags were also deployed.

The two men, Rai and his passenger, who gave only the name Rachit, were checked out by Buckfield Rescue. Rai said he was not injured, but Rachit was being observed in the rescue vehicle.

Rai said that they were going to New Hampshire from Augusta and were working for U.S. Cellular. He said they live on the road in hotels mostly, although he did have a California drivers license

Both Sumner and Canton fire department volunteers responded to the scene, which Canton handled as Hartford contracts with that town for emergency services.


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