STANDISH – The section of Route 35 in Standish where a Saint Joseph’s College athlete lost his life last weekend has long been known to Standish officials as a dangerous roadway and scene of major accidents.

While the twisting and rolling section of Route 35 between Route 237 and Johnson Field in Sebago Lake Village was repaved two years ago by the Maine Department of Transportation, the town has been calling for a full reconstruction of the roadway due to its narrow and undulating course and lack of paved shoulders.

“I think it’s a nasty section, where you come over a hill and it twists and you’ve got a curve below you,” said Standish Town Manager Gordon Billington, who travels the stretch daily. “And the town has asked DOT to rebuild that section as our No. 1 priority for a number of years now. But it needs it, it needs it bad.”

Billington remembers one particularly gruesome accident in December 2009, which he came upon immediately after it happened. The accident took place almost in the same spot as Saturday’s crash and involved a fully loaded logging truck and two vehicles. Unlike Saturday, however, no one died in the accident, which was sparked when a passenger car attempted to pass on the stretch just west of the Route 237 intersection and collided with the oncoming truck.

Sheriff Kevin Joyce, who lives in Standish and has responded to numerous accidents along Route 35 in the past, says the road has improved since the repaving, but risky driving along the 50 mph roadway plays a part in accidents, as well.

“The road there is kind of broken down a little bit because of frost, but generally it’s not a real bad piece of road compared with some of the other ones I’ve dealt with. But it is undulating and people push the 50 mph speed limit and there is ridiculous passing where the accident occurred,” Joyce said.

Joyce also noted the area is not well lit and has sandy shoulders, which make driving conditions worse than on other sections of Route 35.

According to Maine transportation department spokesman Ted Talbot, the stretch between Route 114 and Route 237 had 14 accidents in the years 2008-2010, which he said is below average for similar roadways.

While hopes for a complete rebuild remain low due to lack of available funding, Department of Transportation surveyors were on site, Billington said, in recent weeks measuring the roadway’s width and sight lines for the rebuild.

“We actually put some money up two years ago in the hope that they would raise its priority for a rebuild. DOT is currently surveying that section in case there are any funds available to actually rebuild it,” Billington said.

Accident reconstruction

The April 14 accident claimed the life of Clark Noonan, 20, a sophomore business management major and basketball player at Saint Joseph’s College.

According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Noonan was a passenger in a 2008 Mazda 626 sedan driven by fellow student Tyler Hall, 19, of Pittston. Traveling toward North Windham on Route 35, the vehicle crossed the oncoming lane and became entangled in a roadside chain link fence at about 1:30 a.m.

Police say Hall was driving at high speed when he lost control of the vehicle, evident by long skid marks visible on the roadway. Noonan died after being thrown from the sedan and then struck by the vehicle. He died at the scene.

Also involved in the accident were two other passengers, James Philbrook, 20, of Auburn, and Terence Cullen, 21, of Sully, Iowa. According to a Maine Medical Center spokeswoman, the three surviving occupants were treated and released Saturday.

According to Capt. Shawn O’Leary, an accident reconstruction team was on site until 7:30 the morning of the accident and the department is working with the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office regarding possible charges.

“We’re waiting for the blood test to come back, and we’re waiting for the investigation to be complete and once we have all that information we’ll be sitting down with the DA’s office and going over the entire case and see where we go from there,” O’Leary said.

Great loss

The accident has saddened the college community, with staff and students responding by dedicating last Sunday’s Mass to Noonan, as well as holding a candlelight vigil on campus Tuesday at 11 p.m.

According to a college statement distributed Saturday, Noonan was “a key player on the Saint Joseph’s College basketball team and a member of the Business Club. According to administrators, he was an excellent student who was hardworking, well-liked and team-oriented.”

Administrators and staff were on campus throughout the night and early Sunday morning to help students with the news. Grief counseling was made available for students, faculty and staff. College athletic events were canceled for Sunday and Tuesday, when many staff and students traveled to Noonan’s hometown of Bangor for a memorial service.

In a letter to the campus community, President Ken Lemanski said, “During difficult times like this, it is important to draw strength from each other and the larger campus community. Clark will be deeply missed by the entire Saint Joseph’s College community, and we are planning to honor his life with a service on campus in the coming days.”

According to Rob Sanicola, who was Noonan’s basketball coach, “Clark was such a good-hearted young man who had so much to offer to his peers, his coaches and our community. His honesty, dedication, discipline, enthusiasm and dependability always came through. Clark touched so many people, and his impact will always be felt on our campus and our basketball program. It’s an honor that I got to be part of his life.”

A memorial of flowers, cards and mementos have been laid at the site of a crash along a section of Route 35 in Standish known to be a hazardous area and site of past tragic accidents.