LITCHFIELD — Two West Gardiner women died Tuesday morning when the car they were in and a tractor-trailer collided at Hallowell and Lewiston roads, according to Maj. Ryan Reardon of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.
Driver Grace Marston, 92, died Tuesday evening at a Lewiston hospital; her front-seat passenger, Anita A. Wade, 82, was pronounced dead at the scene, Reardon said in a news release.
A 14-year-old girl in the back seat was injured and taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and treated for injuries not considered life-threatening. Marston died hours after being flown to CMMC by LifeFlight, Reardon said.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, owned by Steve A. McGee Construction, was identified as Robert Morang, 67, of Chelsea. According to Reardon, Morang was not hurt in the crash.
Morang was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta for a routine blood sample as part of the investigation. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash, Reardon said.
Marston was driving north on Hallowell Road when her car was struck broadside by the tractor-trailer traveling west on Lewiston Road/Route 126, Reardon said. The collision pushed both vehicles into a ditch and trapped people inside.
The car was partially lodged under the tractor-trailer when EMS personnel arrived, according to Reardon.
The accident was reported just after 11 a.m., he said. The road was closed until shortly after 4 p.m.
EMS and fire personnel from Litchfield, Gardiner and Monmouth assisted at the scene, as well as the Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Unit, which inspected the tractor-trailer.
The Sheriff’s Office also worked with Maine State Police to reconstruct and map the scene of the collision. The accident is still under investigation.
“This was a tragic and complex crash scene,” Reardon said. “I am grateful to all of the agencies that responded and took such great care of those involved. It was very difficult to handle numerous family members arriving to check on loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those involved.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.