Howland woman, dog survive rollover

Howland woman, dog survive rollover


BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY NICK SAMBIDES JR.
Lincoln call firefighter Dottie Hammond cradles a dog that survived a car accident in Lincoln on Saturday in which the car flipped twice, possibly end-over-end, before coming to rest beside a tree about 10 feet from a house. The dog’s owner, a Howland woman, suffered head injuries and was taken to Penobscot Valley Hospital of Lincoln. Buy Photo

LINCOLN, Maine — An unidentified Howland woman suffered head injuries in a crash Saturday that she and her dog were lucky to survive, police said.

The woman was driving with her dog southwest on Lee Road just after 5 p.m. Saturday when her car sideswiped a van heading northeast, flipped twice — possibly end-to-end — and just missed hitting a house and a birch tree, Lincoln police Sgt. Kevin Giberson said.

The dog, whose name no one had and whose breed firefighters could not identify, was twice lucky, for witnesses said he was almost hit by Route 6 traffic several times after the accident, but appeared unhurt.

“That little dog was terrified,” said Holly Leighton, 56, of 181 Lee Road after the car hit a small berm and flipped, landing about 10 feet shy of her one-story home. “He ran into the street until a friend of my husband’s grabbed him.”

The Leightons also considered themselves fortunate, Holly Leighton said.

Recovering from a foot broken when she was helping her husband, Michael, do work around the house, Leighton said they were watching television shortly after 5 p.m. when she heard squealing tires.

Michael Leighton, whose chair was next to their living room window, suddenly stood up and yelled, “Oh my God! That car’s going to hit the house!” as the vehicle went off the road, his wife said.

Once the crash occurred, Leighton, 49, threw on his shoes and ran out to help the woman, who told him, “I was on the damn phone!” just before the accident occurred, his wife said.

“She also was concerned about her dog,” Holly Leighton said.

The woman was bleeding from her face and head. A Penobscot Valley Hospital ambulance took her to the Lincoln hospital, said Dottie Hammond, a call firefighter with the Lincoln Fire Department who cradled the dog after the accident.

The driver of the van, a Lincoln woman, was unhurt, according to Giberson. Her vehicle appeared to have only minor damage.

Giberson said it was too early to tell what caused the accident.

No further information was available by Sunday afternoon. Giberson’s investigation was expected to continue this week.

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Comments
21 comments on this item

Thank God she was okay. I'm glad the dog is fine too.

Too early to tell what caused the accident? It sounds like she admitted what she did. She got lucky this time.

Just two words: cell phone.

Just because she said she was on the phone that doesn't mean she flipped her car because she was on the phone, or that she is an idiot.... Glad she is ok!! Nice to see that after something aweful happens that everyone has such encouraging things to say, I'm so proud of my fellow readers...geez.

Re: berquis. Ditto. People can be so vicious and cold hearted. I am glad there are still a few good hearts in this world! I too am glad that nobody got hurt! I call it Amazing Grace.

If this is the girl/woman that I think it is we can all pray that she never drives again! She is on at least 4 meds that she shouldn't be driving while taking! Our local friendly doctor who is about to leave town tends to her needs quite nicely, so it's all legal stuff! Looks like her car and looks like her dog, just my opinion! Oh by the way if it is her she will pay for nothing because she doesn't have a pot to piss in!

Opinionated...please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that she shouldn't be held accountable but I am saying that every now and then we need to look at the possitive side of life.... all this doom, gloom and blame gets a little disheartening...

I'm with you opinionated!

In response opinionated... :) I hear ya! I really do. And don't worry, ALL my actions are legal and good so no worries of being responsible for MY actions. :) Have a great day!

SHE WAS ON THE PHONE THE ENTIRE TIME DOWN THE HILL!!!! OF COURSE ITS STUPID!! The white car was coming down Rt6 (Lee Road) headed south completely out of control down the entire hill. Her car was going from lane to lane. Her brakes were not even applied until she hit a lincoln woman headed north on Rt6. It's a good thing the lincoln woman pulled over in the ditch or she would her been hit HEAD ON, the lincoln woman's car only received minamal damage. Then the white car rolled and landed on the property of the Leightons. It's a good thing their was a dip in their driveway or the driver would have went right through the home! Upon exiting the vehicle the driver wanted her cigarettes and her dog! Doing all this while on the phone. Their were also a prom underway! God forbide if anything happened to our children!

HANG UP AND DRIVE!

Hey LynxFan, do u actually know this person or did u see this take place?Just wondering cause if you saw her you should report this to the police.If something is not done about this woman and her piss poor driving skills then someone is going to get killed by her!

At one point in time this woman's doctor had her taking 6mg of Xanax a day(that was about 8 years ago, wonder what her dosage is now) and saw no problem with her being on the roads driving and trying to kill the rest of us! I went for a ride with her one time and we ran into the back of a car that was stopped in front of us at a stop sign. She turned to me and said," That beyatch just hit me!" She was so wasted that she actually thought that the woman backed into her and not that she ran into the back of the woman! Can you say WOW!

I'd want a cigarette after that too!

I DO not think that woman should be driving at all,,, one hand on the wheel the other hand on the cell, one puff from the cigar,, and one fallen cell puts her right down in the alley like a bowling ball,, get off the ROAD ALL YOU WOMAN DRIVERS AND LET THE PROS DRIVE,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, CELLS PHONES, YES A DOG IN HER LAP,, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENCE,,, GET THEM ALL OF THE ROAD,,,, STUPID JERKS

Animals should be confined from the driving area, Cell Phones should be off the year while driving, but hey Augusta does not think Cell Phones need to be banned for all ages now do they?

Banning cell phones lol, gl. If cell phones get banned then they need to ban then from cops and fire firghters too

I made nearly as stupid a mistake six years ago. I had left work in Boston to come back to Maine and crossing Route 9, a fellow employee called me to see if I was OK. We started talking and as I topped a hill, there was a deer in front of me. I hit the brakes and swerved to the left. Afterwards, I pulled over to the proper shoulder and retrieved my cell phone which by then was in the back seat. I explained what had happened and we stayed on the phone a few more minutes while I idled by the side of the road.

Even if you are not answering or retrieving your cell phone, it is a distraction. If you have to drive, get the appropriate gear to you don't have to touch your phone. If it is not an emergency, then tell your caller you will get back to them at a more appropriate moment.

I, too, take multiple meds but I always work a schedule with them so I will not be driving impaired.

Even cigarettes pose a danger in your car. You have to take your eyes off the road to light one, which means one hand is off the wheel and your attention is not fully on the road. When my kids were really little, we were struck from behind by a driver who said she had dropped her cigarette and never saw us. Both of my kids had to be taken to the hospital but were thankfully OK.

Drive safe and please, wear your seat belts.

People do make mistakes. I'm glad to hear that she and her dog are okay.

Speaking of hearts, ravonna happens to have one of the biggest hearts of anyone ive ever known. She happens to be one of my best friends and i am so glad that she and little kujo are both ok. Please let me say that she feels horrible that she couldve injured someone or crashed through the leightons house. She feels very fortunate that noone but her got hurt. Everyone makes mistakes and she certainly made a big one and she knows it. Nothing she says or does can ever take it back, but she sends her sincerest apologies to all of u.

johnson34, you are kind to defend your friend. I am glad that she and her dog are OK. That looked like a pretty scary accident for all concerned.

Driving is a responsibility. As I mentioned, my kids were little when we were struck from behind at a light by someone retrieving a cigarette. She continued to search for it after sending us into the middle of the intersection. Her passenger got out with an alcoholic beverage still in the glass. It was about 2AM and I had worked more than twelve hours then picked up the kids from a sitters. We were at the hospital until dawn. For a cigarette.

My car was still drivable so I drove the kids to the ER just a block away, where my daughter was immobilized and placed on a backboard. My son watched quietly as she was taken out. An orderly reached in to lift him and he screamed. At first we thought it was fear, but he started saying boo-boo. He was seen by a doctor in the car as was deemed to be more seriously injured than his sister. He too, was then immobilized and removed from the car. It was literally heart-wrenching to watch. I could not bear to hurt my kids or any one else. Focus on that which is important.

After realizing I had nearly caused a needless accident, I do not take calls while in my car. I will pull in at the very next opportune spot and return the call. My life is worth more to me than a phone call. I hope it is worth more to all the other drivers out there.

PUT YOUR SEATBELT ON!! PLEASE???

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