CANTON – Safety belts, air bags and a child-safety seat were credited with preventing serious injuries in a violent collision Wednesday night on Route 108.

A husband, wife and their 18-month old baby were taken by Med-Care Ambulance to Rumford Hospital that night, treated and released, said Oxford County Deputy Chancey Libby.

A driver and passenger in the other car were uninjured.

Libby said the accident happened about 4 p.m. near the Canton town garage.

Linda Bauman, 53, of Washington, D.C., was headed west on Route 108, driving an Oldsmobile rental car from Portland. Bauman and passenger Daniel Faron, 17, also of Washington, D.C., were going to Bethel to the Bethel Inn & Country Club, said the deputy.

William J. Micks, 34, of Peru, was driving east toward Route 4 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee with his wife, Nimo Awmaalim, 22, and their 18-month-old son.

Based on evidence at the scene, Libby said it appeared that Bauman crossed the center line into the Jeep’s path.

“All of the parts of her car were in his lane at the point of impact,” he said.

He said Bauman’s car struck the rear tire on the driver’s side of the Jeep, ripping the tire off and knocking it into the woods. The Jeep was knocked into a ditch, where it rolled over, landing on its roof, he said.

He said safety belts and air bags prevented serious injuries in the crash.

“I got there pretty quick and the child was still strapped in the child seat, and he wasn’t even crying,” Libby said.

Traffic was a mess, however, but he said Canton firefighters directed the rush-hour traffic past the wreckage in one lane.

Libby said he didn’t consider road conditions to be a contributing factor, other than the fact that the road was wet.

“There was some slush and sand and salt, but it didn’t appear to be icy. It was a typical winter road,” he said.

Roland’s Automotive and Adley’s, both of Rumford, towed the vehicles, which were totaled. Oxford County Sgt. Christopher Wainwright assisted at the scene.