By Terry Karkos,Staff Writer

PERU – A Canton woman was believed injured early Tuesday morning in a three-car crash on Route 108 near Peru Elementary School.

Debra Payeur, 49, was taken by Med-Care Ambulance to Rumford Hospital after being found unconscious and slumped over in the passenger seat of her Ford Escort, investigating Oxford County Deputy Chancey Libby said late Tuesday afternoon. Nursing supervisors at Rumford Hospital, and Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston had no record of Payeur being treated there.

Because people first on the scene reported that Payeur might be dead, LifeFlight helicopter was requested, but later canceled by a Med-Care medic when the woman’s injuries were not as serious as initially reported, Libby said.

The crash happened at about 7:30 a.m. when an eastbound 2005 GMC pickup truck driven by Eaton R. Gilbert, 58, of Lewiston, struck the rear of a 2005 Ford Taurus operated by Susan N. Coulombe, 33, of Portland, Libby said.

Gilbert’s truck was then struck by Payeur’s car, he said.

Gilbert was not injured but Coulombe and her passenger, Alex J. Thibodeau, 38, no town given, complained of neck and back pain, Libby said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accidents.

“Gilbert first told me that the sun was in his eyes, but the sun was to our backs. I was also told that traffic was stopped, because of a stopped school bus and kids on the side of the road,” Libby said.

Because the crash was reported as a critical-injury crash, Deputy Brian Landis, Mexico patrolman Jeff Stoddard and Rumford patrolman Matt Noyes also responded to assist Libby. Peru firefighters also responded.

Libby estimated damage to Payeur’s car at $6,000; to Gilbert’s truck, $3,000; and $1,000 to Coulombe’s Taurus, a rental out of New Brunswick, Canada.