Black ice blamed for 3-car crash > 5 treated for minor injuries released

Five people involved Wednesday night in a three-car accident on Route 27 in Carrabassett Valley have been treated at a Farmington hospital and released with only minor injuries.

The accident, which was blamed on the sudden formation of “black ice,” is believed to be the first to have taken place this year on a section of road known for such accidents, according to Chief Ron Moody of the Carrabassett Valley Police Department.

The accident occurred around 6 p.m. when Jeff Mitchell, 16, of Westbrook, driving southbound in a 1983 Pontiac station wagon, lost control of the vehicle on a patch of icy road, Moody said Thursday.

Mitchell and three passengers, Jesse Dowling, 17, William Carey, 16, and Michael Waterhouse, 16, all of Raymond, were returning from a ski trip to Sugarloaf/USA, said the police chief.

The vehicle skidded sideways down the road and collided with a northbound vehicle, a 1988 Chevrolet Blazer driven by David Quesada, 37, of Carrabassett Valley.

Judy Brauza, 32, of Kingfield, driver of another southbound vehicle, a 1990 Dodge pickup truck, was unable to stop and slid into the Mitchell vehicle, said Moody.

The five people, excluding Brauza, were taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, about 35 miles away, by three ambulances provided by Sugarloaf Ambulance and Rescue. Their trip to the hospital was “slippery all the way,” because of icy roads, said Moody.

The five people suffered cuts and bruises, including Quesada, who went through the windshield of his vehicle, said Moody. Only Mitchell was wearing a seat belt. The others “would have received fewer injuries” had they also been wearing seat belts, said the police chief.

The Mitchell and Quesada vehicles were demolished, while the Brauza truck had moderate damage, estimated at $800 to $1,000, said Moody.

The police chief said that the section of the road, about 3 miles along the Carrabassett River, is known to ice quickly. The road was wet Wednesday night when a sudden drop in temperature caused the freeze.