MEXICO — A car crash across the street from the fire station helped ensure rapid response for a visiting couple on Friday.

Roy and Peggy Lee, of Winnsboro, S.C., were driving their rental car, a 2011 Mazda 3 Sedan, west on Route 2 on Friday morning when Roy drifted out of the travel lane and hit a parked 2006 Toyota Tacoma.

The Lees’ car was traveling at an estimated 35 mph at the time of impact, according to eyewitnesses.

The crash triggered the deployment of both airbags and neither of the Lees sustained serious injury aside from minor bruising.

The accident happened at 130 Main St., immediately across the street from the Mexico Fire Department, resulting in near-immediate response from fire department personnel.

Other emergency personnel responding to the accident were officer Kyle Williams of the Mexico Police Department, officer Eric Bernier of the Dixfield Police Department and a Med-Care Ambulance unit.

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The Lees’ vehicle sustained massive front-end damage on the  passenger side and had to be towed from the scene to a Rumford garage.

The Toyota, owned by Roger Swan of Mexico, received significant damage to the driver’s-side rear quarter and was deemed undrivable as well by Williams.

“I just don’t know what happened,” Roy Lee said. “One moment I was driving, the next thing I knew we were crashing into this car.”

“There doesn’t appear to be any issue with alcohol, substance abuse or speed and both were wearing seat belts,” Williams said.

Roger and Carol Swan were just approaching their parked Toyota Tacoma when the accident occurred.

“I was just reaching to open the car door when the accident happened,” Roger Swan said. “It’s a good thing that we weren’t there a couple of moments earlier or we would have been hit.”

The Lees, who were in Maine doing volunteer church construction in New Portland, were transported to Portland with their wrecked rental car to pick up another rental car to complete their journey.

“We have been very impressed with how friendly the people in Maine are,” Peggy Lee said.


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