Distracted driving may have been the cause of a head-on collision Friday night in New Gloucester that sent a Durham woman to the hospital with serious injuries.
The crash happened when a 2010 Subaru Legacy operated by Nicholas Orr, 20, of Topsham left its lane of travel on North Pownal Road and crossed the centerline on a sharp curve, Chief Deputy Naldo Gagnon of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Orr’s vehicle hit a 2008 Hyundai traveling in the opposite direction head-on.
The driver of the Hyundai, Cheryl Hall, 60, of Durham, was transported to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston for treatment of injuries that were serious but not life-threatening. Orr was also taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, but did not appear to have suffered any serious injuries.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The sheriff’s office said that driver inattention and failure to maintain control of the vehicle appear to have played a role. Speed and alcohol did not appear to have been factors.
Both vehicles were destroyed and were towed from the scene. North Pownal Road was closed for more than three hours following the collision, which took place around 8:04 p.m. Friday in the vicinity of 396 North Pownal Road.
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