3 injured in pileup on Bangor bridge

BANGOR – Three people were taken to a Bangor hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in a four-car pileup on the Penobscot River Bridge Thursday.

The accident, which temporarily halted traffic on the bridge, was attributed to human error.

Taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center were Linda Voye, 43, of Brewer and her two passengers, 23-year-old Michael Voye and Theresa Pardilla, 21. Information about their medical conditions was not available.

According to Officer Paul Colley of the Bangor Police Department, the accident occurred about noon, when Jack Melanson, 23, of Orono hit his gas pedal instead of his brake pedal, setting off a chain reaction that involved three vehicles stopped in traffic ahead of him on the bridge.

Melanson’s 1988 Ford Bronco ran into the back end of a 1996 Toyota driven by 81-year-old Brewer resident Barbara Utterback-Emery.

Her vehicle rear-ended a 1990 Nissan operated by Ann Stinsman, 33, of Etna, which was pushed into the back end of Voye’s 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, Colley said.

Melanson and Stinsman were traveling alone when the accident occurred, Colley said, while Utterback-Emery had one passenger in her vehicle, 67-year-old Joan Williams.

Though all of the people involved in the accident complained of pain at the scene,

Colley said, the only victims taken to the hospital were Linda Voye and her passengers.

The patrolman said no charges are pending in connection with the accident.