PERU — A Greene woman escaped serious injury early Tuesday morning after police say she drove off Main Street into the path of a west-bound tractor-trailer carrying propane on Route 108.

As a precautionary measure, Med-Care Ambulance took Christine Towns, 31, to Rumford Hospital, where she was treated and released while police were still processing the accident scene, investigating Maine State Police Trooper Kyle Tilsley said early Tuesday afternoon.

“I don’t think that alcohol or speed were factors, just driver inattention,” Tilsley said.

Shortly after 7 a.m.,  Gary Heywood, 46, of Hollis, was driving a Dead River propane tanker toward the intersection, the trooper said.

Tilsley said Towns was driving an Oldsmobile Delta 88 north on Main Street “when she tried to make it across the intersection” and was broadsided.

The impact totaled the Oldsmobile and caused an estimated $3,000 to the front of the tractor-trailer, but didn’t affect the propane tank, Tilsley said.

“She was very lucky there was a professional tractor-trailer driver who realized what was about to happen and reacted accordingly,” he said.

Heywood, who wasn’t injured, hit the brakes hard to lessen the impact.

“Traffic was jammed for about two hours,” Tilsley said.

Known locally as “Four Corners,” the intersection is prone to frequent accidents. A continually flashing yellow light cautions Route 108 drivers, while drivers entering from Main Street must yield to traffic and stop at the flashing red light and stop signs.

The accident remains under investigation.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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