ROXBURY — A local woman was injured early Friday afternoon on Route 120 after police say she apparently drove into the path of an oncoming pickup truck carrying workers to the Record Hill wind energy farm in Roxbury.

After Roxbury firefighters extricated Lucille “Laurie” Hodsdon, 63, of Roxbury, from her Honda CR-V, she was taken by Med-Care Ambulance to Rumford Hospital.

A nursing supervisor there declined comment on Hodsdon’s condition.

Cpl. Chancey Libby of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office said Hodsdon’s passenger, granddaughter Krista Hodsdon, 14, of Mexico, complained of chest pain from the safety belt.

Additionally, Libby said Lonnie C. Henshaw, 30, of Sweetwater, Texas, who was driving the Dodge SLT truck, and one of his two passengers also complained of pain. However, they and Krista Hodsdon declined to be taken to a hospital.

Henshaw’s passengers were Federico Zuniga, 24, of McCamey, Texas, and Lucas Simon Geisnor, 30, of Prairieville, La.

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The accident happened at about 1:07 p.m. when Laurie Hodsdon, who was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection on Frye Crossover Road, drove west onto Route 120 toward her driveway on the other side at 86 Roxbury Notch Road (Route 120).

Because of the orientation of her driveway, Hodsdon turned slightly south toward the oncoming pickup truck to drive into her yard, Libby said.

“Laurie said she looked and didn’t see anything coming and started to go, and then Krista started screaming,” Libby said.

Henshaw steered toward the opposite lane trying to avoid her, but they collided on the centerline, he said.

The impact shoved the Honda north of the intersection while the pickup came to rest on Hodsdon’s lawn just off the opposite side of the road.

Roxbury firefighters shut down both lanes and Frye Crossover Road, which connects routes 120 and 17, for about 45 minutes.

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Libby and Roxbury firefighter Matthew Patneaude said something needs to be done to improve the line of sight there, because the stop sign is set well back from the intersection.

Drivers stopping there cannot see oncoming traffic due to the crown on Route 120 and brush and trees along the east side of the highway.

Patneaude said drivers have to drive past the stop sign and pull up nearly onto Route 120 to see oncoming traffic.

Libby estimated damage to the truck at $9,000. It and the car were towed by Adley’s of Rumford.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com


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