Slippery roads test drivers Accident reports inundate dispatchers, emergency workers

As a reminder of things to come, snow, rain and sleet slicked many Maine roads Thursday, catching some people unprepared.

Scores of accidents were reported in sections of the state throughout the day, with more expected during the night as rain and snow continued to fall.

Dispatching outlets such as the Penobscot Regional Communications Center in Bangor were inundated with reports of accidents tying up police and emergency personnel and prompting safety warnings.

“People need to slow down, pay attention, because winter is here,” said Mike Azevedo, telecommunications officer at the regional communications center.

Charlie Erickson, supervisor at the center, offered a more blunt comment that he gave to people who called to ask about road conditions.

“Traveling is treacherous; stay home,” he said.

Just how busy were things in Penobscot County? The dispatching center received 18 reports of accidents during a period of 2 hours and 20 minutes beginning about 2:40 p.m.

While some accidents during the day consisted of motorists needing to be pulled back onto the road after sliding off, some involved more than one vehicle as well as injuries. On Miller Hill in Hermon late Thursday afternoon, the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department was investigating a three-vehicle accident that sent at least one person to the hospital. Injuries also were reported in an accident in Plymouth.

Accidents in Penobscot County were reported in Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Orono, Old Town, Medway, Glenburn, Levant and other communities.

The Somerset County Communications Center and the Maine State Police in Augusta also reported dozens of accidents, beginning with the first snowflakes at 8:30 a.m.

None involved serious injuries.

The morning accidents included a three-vehicle crash in Fairfield, a car off the road in the median on Interstate 95 in Palmyra, a single-car accident on Route 152 in Palmyra, and another on the Todds Corner Road in St. Albans.

By midafternoon, as the temperature began to rise and the snow turned to sleet, three vehicles collided on the Lower Detroit Road in Plymouth. According to ambulance personnel, one of the cars rolled over and one struck a pedestrian. In all, seven people were treated either at the scene or at Sebasticook Valley Hospital for minor injuries.

At nearly the same time, another vehicle slid off Route 43 in St. Albans and struck a mobile home in Rainbow Trailer Park. No injuries were reported.

Additional accidents were reported on the St. Albans Road in Corinna, North Main Street in Pittsfield, Skowhegan, Madison and Anson.