Probe continues in Greenbush crash

GREENBUSH – A Lincoln woman remained in serious condition at Eastern Maine Medical Center while police continued Thursday to piece together the car accident in which she was injured.

Teresa Babbitt, 46, of Lincoln was in serious condition Thursday in the intensive care unit at EMMC in Bangor, Detective Bill Flagg of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department said.

Flagg is continuing his investigation of the accident in which Babbitt was hurt and Maria Fontaine died. The 41-year-old Burlington woman was killed instantly early Tuesday when a station wagon crossed the centerline on Route 2 and hit her sedan and sent it flying into a ditch.

“The investigation will take a considerable amount of time,” Flagg said.

Fontaine apparently died of massive head injuries, while Babbitt apparently suffered internal injuries caused by impact with the steering wheel of her car.

No autopsy was deemed necessary on Fontaine because her death was clearly accidental, a spokeswoman for the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta said Thursday.

The office still is doing toxicology work on both women, the spokeswoman said. Final reports will not be available for three or four months.

Investigators believe Babbitt was heading north in a 1992 Subaru Loyale station wagon on Route 2 shortly before 5 a.m. when she suddenly crossed the centerline and the collision occurred.

The Loyale came to an almost immediate stop, but Fontaine’s 1989 Mercury Marquis, which was heading south, spun off into the ditch, police said.

Babbitt probably suffered internal injuries as she was pinned by the steering wheel, police said. Firefighters and paramedics had to use extrication equipment to free her.

Investigators aren’t sure why Babbitt’s vehicle crossed the centerline. Weather may have been a factor. The temperature hovered near freezing, though there was no precipitation.

Fontaine did not appear to be wearing a seat belt, and her vehicle had no air bag, Sheehan said.

Babbitt’s vehicle had automatic seat belts, but she might have disengaged hers by hitting the overhead release mechanism that slides into the ceiling of the station wagon.

Maine State Police are doing a reconstruction of the accident to determine why it happened.