8-year-old boy pinned in car wreck airlifted to hospital

MONROE – A young boy was airlifted to a Bangor hospital Wednesday after being pinned in a wrecked car on West Main Street for more than an hour.

State Trooper Jonah O’Roak said the 8-year-old remained stoic throughout his ordeal until rescue personnel attempted to hook him to an intravenous drip.

“He was very brave,” O’Roak said. “Only when they tried to give him an IV did he get fussy. He didn’t want a needle.”

The boy was riding with his mother, Amanda Crosby, 27, of Jackson, his 5-year-old brother and another 8-year-old boy when their car left the road. Crosby and the other boys received minor injuries. All were reported to be wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

O’Roak said he needed to notify the boys’ parents before he could identify them. All those involved in the accident were taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

The accident took place at approximately 11:30 a.m. when the car went out of control on an icy stretch of Route 139 near the Monroe Center road, about a mile and a half from Monroe Village. O’Roak blamed the wreck on imprudent speed.

“She went off the road due to packed ice and snow. Speed was definitely a factor for the road conditions,” he said. “Not excessive speed, but imprudent speed considering the conditions.”

The Nissan compact was headed toward Winterport when it skidded out of control, did a 180-degree spin and struck a utility pole. The impact snapped the pole, causing wires and a transformer to dangle across the highway.

After hitting the pole, the car did another 180 spin before spinning off the road into a ditch and coming to rest in a grove of trees, O’Roak said.

Crosby received cuts to her face and the other two children appeared to be fine, O’Roak said. All were taken by ambulance to EMMC.

The boy, who was riding in the rear seat, had his legs pinned by the front seat when it was forced backward by the impact of the collision. O’Roak said both legs were broken and that the boy underwent surgery.

A hydraulic-cutting device was used to open the rear of the vehicle to assist the boy. A chain was hooked to the car’s frame and a tow truck was used to stretch the crumpled car apart until the boy could be freed.

“That [using the chain and tow truck] was [Waldo County Sheriff’s Deputy] Ben Seekins’ idea and it worked well,” O’Roak said.

A LifeFlight helicopter landed at the Monroe School and emergency personnel from the chopper assisted with the boy’s care and removal from the car.

He was then placed in an ambulance and taken to the school, where he was loaded onto the helicopter and airlifted to the hospital.

The accident closed Route 139 for more than an hour as a Central Maine Power Co. crew installed a new utility pole and repaired the wires. The accident remains under investigation.