CANTON — A Rumford woman remained hospitalized Tuesday night at Maine Medical Center in Portland with injuries from a head-on collision on Route 108 Friday.
Longtime Canton farmer Norris Conant was charged with drunken-driving in the crash.
Michelle Legault, 43, of 26 Spruce St., said she suffered a fractured neck and broken leg. “I’m weak, but I’m doing alright,” she said in a phone conversation from her room. She said she’ll have to undergo therapy to walk again.
Her daughter, Amanda Legault, 21, also of 26 Spruce St. and a passenger in her car, suffered chest pain in the accident.
Both women were taken by Med-Care Ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston; Amanda was released Friday night and Michelle was taken to the Portland hospital.
Maine State Police Trooper Ricci Cote said Tuesday afternoon by email that Michelle Legault was driving a 2002 Buick north on Route 108 at 6:13 p.m. Friday when Norris Conant, 74, of 374 Turner St. in Canton “failed to yield.” Turner Street is also Route 108.
“Conant crossed the centerline in front of Legault to turn into his driveway,” Cote said. “The head-on collision caused Legault’s car to careen off into a ditch and the force of the impact swung Conant’s truck around and moved it well over onto the other side of his lane.”
All three had safety belts on, Cote said he was told.
Cote said he conducted field sobriety tests on Conant, who wasn’t injured. He was driving a 2003 GMC pickup truck.
Conant was taken to the Rumford police station for an intoxilyzer test and the level of alcohol in his system was nearly twice the legal limit, the trooper said.
Conant was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence and conditionally released from the Rumford police station on $700 unsecured bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 3 in Rumford District Court.
Conditions are that he not use or possess alcohol or illegal drugs, submit to random searches on articulable suspicion or probable cause, and not operate a motor vehicle unless lawfully licensed to do so.
“He has a license as of right now, however, when I sent a report in to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles as required, he will then go under administrative suspension for OUI for 90 days, first offense,” Cote said.
Conant represents the town on the River Valley Growth Council.
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