Ellsworth woman dies after SUV crashes into ledge

BAR HARBOR – An Ellsworth woman was killed Tuesday morning when she lost control of her sport utility vehicle and careened into a rock ledge, Bar Harbor police said.

Barbara Lee, 54, was driving south toward Bar Harbor on Route 3 about 7:30 a.m. when a road slick with early morning frost caused her to skid into the oncoming lane. The lane was empty, according to witnesses.

But Lee’s 1991 Jeep Cherokee had gained such momentum that she was unable to stop until the vehicle struck a rock ledge head-on just across from the Best Western in Salisbury Cove.

Lee was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

An ambulance took Lee to Mount Desert Island Hospital, where a LifeFlight helicopter waited to take the critically injured woman to Bangor for treatment.

Lee died shortly after arriving at the hospital, police said.