PORTLAND, Maine — Police are blaming freezing rain and light snow for five accidents that killed six people on Maine roads over the holiday weekend.
Police say an accident at around 8 a.m. Saturday killed two men when their van crashed on an ice-covered road in Gardiner. Four other people were killed in separate accidents in Bowdoin, Edinburg, Cornville and Lovell.
The victims in the Gardiner crash were identified as 62-year-old Dennis Kay of Gardiner and 25-year-old Carlton Norwood of Pittston.
Police told Maine Today Media that 21-year-old Joseph Faucher-Kuhlman of Cornville was killed about 11 p.m. Friday in Cornvillle.
Police said 45-year-old Andrew Klaiber of Topsham was killed Saturday afternoon in Bowdoin.
Also Saturday, a 63-year-old Nova Scotia woman who was a passenger died in a one-car crash on Interstate 95 in Edinburgh.
State Police say Aizhi Gao from Halifax was the last person to die on Maine roads in 2011.
The car was driven by her daughter, Xiao Lin Deng, 40, also from Halifax, who lost control while passing another vehicle, Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety wrote in a press release.
The car skidded across both northbound lanes and struck a tree off the breakdown lane.
Also this weekend, an accident in Lovell left a Norway man dead.
The Oxford County Sheriff’s department said that Eric Blades was killed when the 2003 Dodge Caravan he was a passenger in rolled over and hit a utility pole at around 10:35 a.m. Sunday.
Katrina Alberry of Norway was driving the van west on Shave Hill Road in Lovell. As the vehicle rounded a curve, she lost control on the ice-covered road. The vehicle skidded right over the road’s shoulder, where it rolled over and struck the pole.
There were three adults and two children in the van. Blades, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene. Alberry, her husband and two children were all transported to the Bridgton Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
State police reconstructionist Dan Hanson assisted at the scene as well as the Lovell Fire Department and several area rescue units.
What a horrible holiday weekend re: traffic deaths. I’m so so sorry for the friends and family of those who lost their lives in such a tragic way.
My heart goes out to every person affected by these tragic events!
So sad to end the year on this note. Worse day on Maine roads this year.
one accident on route 3 took 4 lives last weekend
It wasn’t the freezing rain and snow that caused these accidents! It was in attention that caused these needless accidents. This is Maine. That can happen every day of the winter here. Drivers need to be more attentive this time of the year.
Yah because you know it all and even when people are paying attention and driving correctly accidents never happen right? Your comment shows that you are an ignorant jerk and I hope one day when that car accident happens to you ( hopefully not too severe) you come to realize that things happen regardless and you can’t control everything. Until thn you are going to live life as an ignorant a**
I’ve been driving almost 35 years – almost all of that driving in Maine and the rest of New England, in everything from large 4wd pickups to small front or rear wheel drive cars, and, beyond the most minor momentary fish-tail, never have I slid off an icy road….’Know why? It’s because when the weather even hints that the road might be icy, I slow down….sometimes *way* down. Accidents happen for a variety of reasons, most of them unannounced until the moment they pop up, but slippery, icy, and/or snowy roads aren’t really hard to discover beforehand.
Simply put, people go too fast. Last winter – I-95 between Bangor and Newport, most of us were reduced to 20 mph or so on glare ice…..why Maine DOT mistreated that section of road, I don’t know. ‘Doesn’t really matter, though. Well, some people tried to go faster….I saw several cars and SUVs on their roofs, some on rock ledge, in the wooded median area. There’s a reason my car wasn’t one of those unfortunate ones and it wasn’t luck.
Just this morning, while visiting family in MA, driving my mom to church, we noticed the driveway was a bit slick from a very heavy frost…. the sun hadn’t really climbed much in the sky yet…We then mentioned to each other that some spots in the roads might be icy…..’Yup, we found a few. We drove 25 to 35 mph on sections we usually do 45 on. We arrived to church in one piece. Another non-story.
By the way, there’s no need to call anybody names.
No, poleaxed is absolutely correct. No one’s saying that accidents never happen from other than driver error. But one of them mentioned above happened due to passing another vehicle (impatience) and another from going around a corner on an icy road probably too fast. You would be naive as heck to say that these accidents happened due to uncontrollable conditions only. Over 90% of total crashes are preventable incidents caused by driver error. Not sure why you’re so defensive and mean about a comment that is backed by evidence.
Those facts were not presented in the post, RNinMaine. However, I am angered when people put my life, and more so the lives of my family at risk to pass/tailgate on a dangerous stretch of road or under dangerous conditions. I feel for the families of the people who died in these tragedies, may they find peace.
No, the facts weren’t, but a quick Google will take you to many reputable sites that will give them to you. I feel the same way you do. No place is that important to go that you risk the lives of others on the road.
Wow someone touched a nerve
The article did not say anything about inattentive driving or speed. It did mention that the roads were icy. Drivers do need to slow down and take it easy or better yet, stay home.
Icy roads do not cause crashes. Driving too fast on ice does.
Icy roads cause a lot of crashes and black ice as it is known is a huge culprit in a lot of these crashes. Granted speed does not help but one can crash at even a very slow speed.
Just watch this video and the language at times is NSFW..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE16-Rt2iVw&feature=related
Really, because if there was no ice on the road, guess what? There wouldn’t have been the accidents. Of course the icy roads caused the accidents. Granted, being more careful would help, but sometimes there are unforeseen causes/incidents which we can’t control.
people like you and poleaxed are not only narrowminded but lack common sense. you can be going 10 mph and be on ice and your car can slip. ice is ice, its slippery, and if the roads are not properly taken care of, sometimes going slow and paying attention makes no difference in the world. as cruel as it sounds ytou need to get in an accident because of ice someday soon and then you will get a dose of reality.
A slip at 10mph would hardly do enough damage to qualify as an accident. Certainly no one is going to be killed. But if 10mph is what it takes (and sometimes that’s the case), then 10mph it is.
‘Still beats walking.
Right. I’m sure you’d be saying the same thing if one of those people were someone you loved.
icy roads and no snow banks to slow, cushion an out of control vehicle .. heart goes out to all family and friends ..
I wasn’t out on the roads but I took a wicked flip on the concrete apron of a neighbor’s barn. It was covered with ice and, not thinking, I stepped out onto it and my feet went right out from under me. I’d rather see 10 feet of snow than the film of ice.
Ouch!!! Hope you’re okay–and I agree with you.
one problem is the increased the speedlimit on 95 north of bangor. you can expect deaths to increase there people arent used to driving on snow we have had a mild winter so far
There have been zero deaths attributed to the increased speed limit between Old Town and Houlton thus far…I am sure though that the second there is one you’ll be the know it all to say, “it was because they were driving faster with the increased speed limits”
WRONG! There has been a few deaths between Old Town and Houlton, one of them was a friend of mine! You’ve been reading the wrong newspapers!
I’m sorry for the people that died on the roads this weekend. Unfortuately I believe a number of factors are involved, chief among them is that the state isn’t doing the job that they used to on any number of roads due to lower funding levels, with the high price of fuel and salt/sand they can only do just so much. 2nd the higher speed limit really has nothing to do with it as accidents happen all the time, and the reality is only 1 of the six was on the section of the highway that is at 75mph and if I’m not mistaken the limit is set to 45 anyway during stormy weather. However weather(sic) it’s 45 or 105 if people don’t follow the limit, then how do you blame the speed limit. Sorry your friend died but please don’t get the I-95 speed limit confused with bad icy roads that people should be slowing down on without having to be told.
“In Maine, the state boosted the speed limit to 75 mph on a 110-mile
stretch of I-95 between Old Town and Houlton in September, but that
hasn’t led to an increase in crashes, [Maine Dept. of Public Safety spokesman Stephen] McCausland said.”
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/01/01/news/state/maine-2011-road-deaths-lowest-since-1959/
I’m sorry about your friend, but IIRC, authorities at the time were investigating driver distraction , the driver possibly falling asleep, or a medical condition as causes for the accident I saw reported. If it was indeed speed as you say, then authorities didn’t report it that way, at least not publicly.
I did 75 before, and I do 75 now. My choice. It would be my fault if I had an accident at 80. There is no law saying that a person has to be at the maximum allowable speed.
north of bangor on icy roads speed limet was 45 the signs were light up for 45 mph people do not choose to go what it says is all and i made it to work 40 miles north of bangor in the last ice storm so proves you have to pay attention and go the speed you are controllable at
75 mph isn’t the problem, 85 and 90 that’s the problem
I’ve been on that section of 95 on ice and snow a couple of times already since they raised the limit to 75. Nobody, including myself, was going anywhere near 75. As a matter of fact, we were all well below 65.
With all due respect, the higher limit is irrelevant to snow and ice accidents there because 75 is so far beyond a reasonable snow/ice speed not even the crazies dare try it.
And as MaineMaineMaine says, there have been zero fatalities attributed to the new 75mph limit so far, according to Maine State Police people quoted in the Daily News, not too long ago.
Did the increase the minimum required speed? If not, the fault of ALL accidents due to speed rest solely in tne hands of the driver. The speed limit is just that, a limit, not a requirement that people drive faster than they should and beyond their capabilities. Blame the people themselves, not the ineffective laws they prop up around themselves thinking it will eliminate risk.
Think of the money the state has saved this winter, by cutting back on the times the sand trucks go onto the roads. They don’t plow some of the roads until 6:00 in the morning now. They are putting money ahead of lives.
Did you see the accompanying headline that Maine road deaths in 2011 were the lowest since 1959?
You completely missed the point. This was 5 people in less than 24 hours on one icy day. Sand/salt aren’t an issue in July…so whatever the frigging average ended up as is irrelevant. What an awful way to end the year. Thinking of all their families and friends this afternoon…
and that problem will continue as long as people don’t spend appropriately to maintain our infrastructure. The idea that you can’t raise taxes for any reason is quite frankly ludicrous. Nobody wants to pay more taxes but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet for the necessary items. Infrastructure and maintenance being just one of them.
yes they are. A lot of us have to leave long before 6 to get to work. And there is no “staying home and off the roads” when you have a family to feed.
Ok… lets blame it on the state. If the roads are wet and the temp. is close to freezing, I either stay off the roads, or if I must drive, I drive accordingly. I may be involved in an accident but it will be because of someone else.
People just don’t listen to warnings about dangerous road conditions. You must drive slower that the posted speed limit which tells you what the roads are designed to handle in optimal conditions. I’m sure funeral directors call winter their busy season.
does not help if they died on state roads then all they had to travel on was ice from calicum coloride which gibves your tires zero traction no matter what speed your at,dont worry as long as none complains the state will keep on useing this dangerous chemicail
cell phone?
State and Towns are saving lots of money this year on winter road maitenance by not getting out early and waiting for mother nature to do their work for them.
Needless loss; hope some of them were donors.
My goodness.. Speaking if being ignorant.. seems you can’t spell or construct a complete sentence. One can disagree here without becoming nasty and attacking others opinions. In spite of your spelling and grammar errors, I still respect your right to share your thoughts. My guess is that you also think that guns kill people.. as opposed to the fact that people must load the gun, and pull the trigger. Stay safe.
When will people ever wise up….in rain, freezing or not, snow and ice you need to SLOW DOWN!! Are people new? This is Maine and it’s the same story every year. I think if you have an accident from driving too fast for the conditions, you should have to take drivers education course again.
How about putting on a seatbelt AND going slow on icy roads? Sounds like most of the dead this weekend AND last WERE NOT wearing seatbelts. Wouldn’t you at least buckle up if you HAD to go out on those roads? Come on, folks…a little common sense?
How about seatbelts? Sounds like most of the dead were not wearing seatbelts, both last weekend AND this weekend. Wouldn’t you at least buckle up if you HAD to be out on those icy roads?
on the 23rd my wife and i drove from bangor to limington, we got off the interstate at the gray exit. not once did we come across a plow truck, we did however come across 11 vehicles off the road and a tractor trailer rolled over. so yes i do think d. o. t. could be doing a bit more then what they are !