Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

January 16

Two hurt in Litchfield crash on slippery road

By Betty Adams badams@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

LITCHFIELD — Two people were taken by ambulance to a hospital following a crash between a tractor-trailer and a car about 7:15 a.m. Wednesday on Route 197 near Huntington Hill Road in Litchfield, one of a series of crashes driven by slippery roads in central Maine.

The truck driver, too, suffered minor injuries, but said he would drive himself to the hospital, according to Maine State Trooper Shane Northrup, who investigated the crash.

Northrup said David Mihalik, 48, of Monmouth was driving a Gray Trucking Inc., vehicle along Route 197 when a Buick sedan driven by Autumn Dunton, 38, of Livermore Falls, who was traveling down Huntington Hill Road, was unable to stop at the stop sign due to the weather conditions.

“The car slid into the intersection, and the truck had nowhere to go and struck the car,” Northrup said.

Northrup said no charges were anticipated as a result of the crash.

Northrup said the truck could be driven away, but the Buick was towed from the scene.

Tina Gowell, director of Litchfield Rescue, said Dunton and her adult son were taken by Gardiner Ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. Dunton and her 18-year-old son had been traveling to his new job at Bath Iron Works.

“She saw trailer-truck and realized she couldn’t stop, so she  gunned it,” Gowell said. “That saved her life.”

Motorists sliding and colliding on slippery roads kept police, tow truck operators and sanding/plow trucks busy this morning.

Snow moving in rapidly to the central Maine area about 7 a.m. coated the roadways, and the calls for roadside assistance began.

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