Two people were hurt in a Tuesday night crash on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. Mark LaFlamme

LEWISTON — Two people were trapped in an overturned SUV Tuesday night after the vehicle struck a utility pole and flipped onto its side on Lisbon Street.

Early reports were that portions of the SUV caught fire after striking the pole at about 8:30 p.m. in front of Grimmel’s Service Station at 679 Lisbon St. A witness said a few bystanders, fearing the vehicle might burst into flames, rushed to the crash site and tried to pull the victims out of the vehicle.

When police, fire and rescue crews arrived, the vehicle was no longer on fire. They found one of the occupants outside of the SUV. The other remained trapped inside until fire crews went to work with extrication equipment.

The SUV came to rest in the roadway directly in front of Grimmel’s. The service station sign was knocked down in the wreck and a utility pole was badly cracked, with transformers hanging over the street. It appeared that the vehicle may have struck the side of a garage, as well.

While rescuers worked to free the second victim, police began moving a crowd of people from the scene, fearing that power lines could come down at any time. Central Maine Power sent a crew to the area.

The crash occurred a short distance from the area where Lisbon Street meets Canal Street. It was not immediately clear which way the SUV driver had been heading. The car came to rest in the lanes heading away from the downtown area.

The victims were taken to a hospital. Their identities and the extent of their injuries were not immediately available.

Police blocked off a section of Lisbon Street while emergency crews worked at the crash site. Lewiston police were investigating later Tuesday night.


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