Freezing rain Friday morning, Dec. 27 caused numerous accidents in Franklin County. The driver of an ambulance responding to one in New Sharon lost control near the intersection of Farmington Falls Road and Philbrick Street, snapped a utility pole and ended in the ditch. The two Northstar members were trapped inside until CMP arrived to shut off the power. Franklin County Sheriff Department photo

FRANKLIN COUNTY — Freezing rain Friday morning, Dec. 27, resulted in numerous accidents around the region.

“There was a lot of sliding off the roads, fender benders, but nothing significant,” Franklin County Emergency Management Agency Assistant Director Amanda Simoneau said mid-day. “Around 9 a.m., an ambulance slid off the road into a CMP pole.”

“For about an hour and a half, two hours it was almost non-stop. The road crews were out doing the best they could. It was about the same as everywhere else.”

The scanner in the Farmington Sun Journal, Franklin Journal and Livermore Falls Advertiser office indicated several vehicles, including a sand truck, went off the Weld Road in Perkins Twp.

According to the dispatch log, accidents were reported Friday morning in Chain of Ponds, Farmington, Jay, Madrid Twp, New Sharon, Perkins Twp. and Wilton. Most involved property damage only.

Later Friday afternoon, an email from Sheriff Scott Nichols provided more details.

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Nichols said the road became a skating rink with first responders slipping and falling at accident scenes. Part of Farmington Falls Road, also known as Route 2, was shut down for almost two hours before Maine Department of Transportation crews were able to make the road passable.

“Even sand trucks were having a difficult time with the rain and ice,” Nichols wrote.

Freezing rain Friday morning, Dec. 27, caused difficulty for several during the morning commute in Franklin County. This Honda sedan failed to navigate a corner on Farmington Falls Road and collided with a tractor trailer. Franklin County Sheriff Department photo

At approximately 07:27 a.m., Nichols responded to a collision between a car and tractor trailer on Route 2 in New Sharon. A 2007 Honda was traveling east when the driver lost control while negotiating a corner causing the vehicle to collide into the left side of a westbound 2012 Western Star Tractor Trailer loaded with logs. The truck driver, Duncan McLain, 21, of Madison did his best to avoid the car but road conditions were just too icy.

The Honda bounced off from the side of the truck’s cab and careened back across the road going into a field.  The driver of the Honda, Heather Starbuck of Wilton was transported to Franklin Memorial Hospital. McLain was not injured. Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.

At 07:56 a.m., Deputy McCormick responded to a single vehicle accident, also on Farmington Falls Road in New Sharon. Andrew Cordes of Augusta was traveling westbound approximately two miles east of the tractor trailer accident in a 2005 Toyota when he lost control while negotiating a corner and slid off across the eastbound lane and into the trees.  He was transported to FMH.

Friday morning, Dec. 27, Farmington Falls Road from Farmington to New Sharon was shut down for a time due to icy conditions caused by freezing rain. Department of Transportation crews were called to treat the road before it could be reopened. Franklin County Sheriff Department photo

At 08:48, Deputy Davol responded to a report of a single vehicle accident on the Rome side of Mile Hill Road in New Sharon.  Lee Ann Delcourt of Carrabassett Valley was traveling southbound in a Ford F-150 when she lost control, crossed over the northbound lane and skidded into the woods. There were three juveniles in the vehicle at the time of the accident; none were injured.  Delcourt was injured, so an ambulance was requested.

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About 15 minutes later, the responding Northstar ambulance driver was attempting to maneuver around the cars and rescue vehicles at the intersection of Farmington Falls Road and Philbrick Street in Farmington. The driver lost control and ran off the road into a utility pole, snapping it in half causing the rest to crash down on top of the unit.

“There was a brilliant flash of electricity and the two rescue personnel were trapped inside until Central Maine Power could arrive to shut down the power,” Nichols said in his statement.

Farmington Officer Jesse Clement is investigating the ambulance accident.

First responders from the New Sharon Fire Dept. and the Farmington Fire Dept., as well as the road crew from the town of Farmington, multiple units from DOT and CMP personnel were all key players in cleaning up the scenes, Nichols wrote.

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