TOPSHAM

Topsham police responded to two separate crashes on Route 196 Wednesday, the second of which sent three people to a Brunswick hospital.

A two-vehicle crash was reported to police at 7:50 p.m. Wednesday and is considered a work zone accident.

Officer Robert Ramsay said the crash occurred in the area where a crew was paving. One of the crew members, Kevin Goldrup, was driving a Ford F-150, had pulled to the right side of the road, looked over his shoulder and thought it was clear and attempted to make a U-turn. Ramsay said Goldrup didn’t see a vehicle that was coming down the hill and was broadsided by a car driven by Heather Doble.

Ramsay said Doble’s passenger, Richard Doble, was more seriously injured and both he and Heather Doble were transported to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick for complaint of pain.

A passenger in the pickup, John Morong, suffered facial injuries and was taken to Mid Coast Hospital as well.

The injuries were all nonlife threatening, Ramsay said, and both vehicles were totaled. Ramsay said no charges were filed.

During the crash, the fuel tank of the pickup was ripped open, causing a bad gasoline leak and because the crash occurred on a hill, the fuel was running downhill. The Topsham Fire Department responded with speedy dry to clean up the fuel spill. The Department of Environmental Protection was notified.

Ramsay said Route 196 was closed for a little over an hour and traffic was backed up in both directions. Eventually police were able to divert some traffic onto the Old Lisbon Road loop.

Earlier crash

Wednesday morning, a Brunswick woman was taken to Mid Coast Hospital after colliding into a pickup truck with her van while driving on Route 196.

This crash was reported at 10:15 a.m. near the intersection of Andrea Street. According to police, a black 2010 Ford pickup driven by Robert O. Bourget, 72, of Lisbon, had been driving west on Route 196 (Lewiston Road), had stopped and was waiting to turn into a driveway at 318 Lewiston Road. A red 2001 Nissan passenger van operated by Maureen Gantz, 65, of Brunswick, was also driving west on Route 196 and, police say, was following too closely when she collided into the rear end of the pickup that had stopped in traffic. The impact caused extensive damage to the front of the van.

Gantz was taken to Mid Coast Hospital where she was treated and released, according to a hospital spokesman. No charges were filed.

Topsham Police Chief Christopher Lewis said the road was reduced to one lane for about an hour so crews could clean up and two flatbed tow trucks could remove the vehicles from the scene.