December 25, 2010

Three injured in I-95 crash

By Leslie Bridgers lbridgers@pressherald.com
Staff Writer

FAIRFIELD — Three people were hospitalized Friday afternoon, one with serious injuries, after a car spun out of control on Interstate 95 and hit a sport-utility vehicle twice.

click image to enlarge

Priscilla Speed is extracated from the SUV she was a passenger in that was involved in a two-car accident on southbound Interstate-95 by Fairfield medical technicians and firefighters Friday morning in Fairfield near Exit 133. Three people were taken to Maine General Medical Center in Waterville with non-life-threatening injuries.

Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

click image to enlarge

Jessica Varney, 16, right center, is comforted by an unidentified woman at the scene two-car accident on southbound Interstate 95 Friday morning. Varney was a passenger in the SUV involved in the accident that sent three people to Maine General Medical Center in Waterville with non-life-threatening injuries.

Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

Priscilla Speed, 69, of Burnham, was severely injured in the crash, but was not in critical condition, said Maine State Police Trooper Diane Perkins-Vance.

Speed was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Waterville, along with Alton Varney, 41, of Burnham, and his 13-year-old daughter Arica Varney. Their injuries were not serious, Perkins-Vance said.

The three people who were injured and another passenger were traveling southbound on the highway in a 1999 GMC Suburban, when a 2004 Ford Taurus spun out of control, crashed into the SUV, bounced off the guardrail, then hit the SUV again.

The driver of the Ford, 19-year-old Jake Whitcher of Windham, wasn’t injured.

Perkins-Vance said driver inattention and speed likely contributed to the crash, which occurred near exit 133 around 1:30 p.m. She did not believe drugs or alcohol were factors.

Both cars were rendered total losses, said Perkins-Vance.

The other passenger in the Suburban, 16-year-old Jessica Varney, wasn’t injured. Both she and her sister Arica were wearing seat belts; Alton Varney, the driver, and Burnham were not, Perkins-Vance said.

Shortly after the accident, a minivan passing by the site also ran into the guardrail. Perkins-Vance said the driver was rubbernecking and didn’t slow down while driving by the accident. She said that crash was minor and no one was injured.

Leslie Bridgers — 861-9252
lbridgers@centralmaine.com

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