NAPLES – A woman from Naples died Wednesday morning in an ATV accident along River Road near the intersection of Edes Falls Road in Naples.

According to Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Shanan Loud, 24, of Naples, formerly of Hiram, and a man identified as Johnathan Caswell, 28, also of Naples, were riding without helmets on the same ATV when the ATV left the paved roadway, went down an embankment, struck a tree by the water’s edge, ejecting the driver and passenger.

Loud was killed in the accident. Caswell was transported to Bridgton Hospital and later flown by helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center with serious injury.

According to Capt. Craig Smith, the two were riding up and down River Road with another ATVer, who has not been identified, at 4:53 a.m. when the accident happened. Smith said a neighbor, awakened by the riders, was contemplating calling 911 to report the illegal riding along a public road when the accident occurred.

“[The neighbor] heard the sound of a crash, went down to look for them, and ended up seeing the ATV in the bottom of the streambed,” Smith said.

While the accident is under investigation, Smith said speed and alcohol appear to be factors.

On Wednesday morning, the Maine Warden’s Service was called to conduct forensic mapping of the area. Smith said skid marks on the road and ground were limited. Smith said the ATV was “coming up to a corner, but it was a fairly straight part of River Road” when the accident occurred, and “I don’t think they meant to go off roadway,” he added.

Smith said Loud was found in the water and declared dead at the scene. It is not known if she or Caswell was driving the ATV at the time of the crash. Loud’s cause of death is still to be determined. The state medical examiner will conduct an autopsy, Smith said.