EDDINGTON – Driver inattention was the cause of an accident Thursday morning in which an Eddington woman died and her companion was critically injured after their pickup truck collided with a cement truck on Route 9, according to police.

Barbara Arey, 58, was killed when the 1992 Dodge Dakota driven by Merton Merry, 71, also of Eddington, attempted to make a left turn from Rooks Road onto Route 9 and failed to yield to a concrete truck owned by Round Rock of Old Town. The concrete truck was traveling east at the time of the collision.

Neither were wearing a seat belt according to State Trooper Bryan Higgins, who said the Jaws of Life were needed to extricate Arey.

The operator of the concrete truck, Karl Hoglund, 35, of Milo, was not injured. He was wearing a seat belt, police said.

Merry, who was partially ejected from the pickup truck, was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor where he was listed in critical condition Thursday night.

LifeFlight was called to the scene, but left after Arey’s death was confirmed, Higgins said.

A pet dog belonging to Merry had been riding in the extended cab portion of the truck and was not injured. Higgins said he was unsure of the animal’s whereabouts .

The truck had a New Hampshire license and registration, according to Higgins, who said Arey and Merry lived together with a number of other people.

At the scene Thursday the concrete truck was resting in the front yard of the house belonging to George and Betty Willette. Deep ruts in the lawn told of a frantic stop.

The street was littered with debris from the collision, and onlookers stood shivering in the cold.

“It’s a sad situation, and probably needless,” said Mike Carson who lives next door to the Willettes.