AUBURN — Three people were injured in a three-car accident on Route 4 near the intersection of Lake Shore Drive on Tuesday afternoon.

A northbound Jeep, registered to Elaine and Harry Walker of Auburn, was waiting to turn left onto Lake Shore Drive when it was rear-ended by a Honda Accord driven by David Knobel of Sabattus, Deputy Chief Jason Moen of the Auburn Police Department said. That collision pushed the Jeep into oncoming traffic, where it collided with a Buick LeSabre, registered to Dwight and Laurie Barrett of Lewiston, traveling south, he said.

Firefighters worked to free two people who were trapped in the Buick after the accident at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. They and the driver of the Jeep were taken to area hospitals with nonlife-threatening injuries, Moen said.

The driver of the Jeep was taken to a Lewiston hospital with head injuries, Moen said. The driver of the Buick sedan suffered chest injuries from hitting the steering wheel, and a passenger, the driver’s teenage son, sustained leg injuries, Moen said. They were also taken to Lewiston hospitals.

The names of the injured drivers and passenger were not available late Tuesday evening.

Knobel was not injured. Seat belts and the car’s air bags saved him and a dog that was in the car from being hurt in the crash, Knobel said.

The accident occurred when Knobel checked a blind spot and turned around to see the Jeep stopped in the passing lane of Route 4 in front of him, Knobel said. He tried to swerve but was unable to avoid the Jeep, he said.

All southbound traffic was routed around Lake Auburn via Lake Shore Drive. Northbound traffic was restricted to one lane and moved slowly for several hours following the accident.

The accident comes seven weeks after a tractor-trailer struck and severely damaged a home after colliding with a pickup at nearly the same spot on Route 4.

acullen@sunjournal.com

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