STETSON, Maine — A collision Wednesday between two pickup trucks left two people dead and injured others, according to the Maine State Police.
Jacqueline Thompson, 43, and Arnold Thompson, 51, both of Exeter, were killed when the pickup truck Jacqueline was driving failed to stop at a stop sign and was broadsided by a pickup truck driven by Jacob Chambers, 29, of Dover-Foxcroft.
Maine State Police Spokesman Stephen McCausland said late Wednesday night that the two were a married couple from Exeter. No other information was available at press time.
The accident happened about 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of Lakins and Mount Pleasant roads, when a Chevrolet pickup traveling north on Lakins Road, also known as Route 143, and a green Ford Ranger pickup headed east on East Newport Road collided in the intersection and came to rest on a nearby lawn, Maine State Police Trooper Trevor Snow said at the accident scene.
“It appears that the driver of the Ford pickup truck failed to stop at the stop sign and was struck by the [Chevrolet] pickup,” Snow said.
He said the two people who died were riding in the same vehicle but did not indicate which one. Two other people, who were riding in the other vehicle, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center for treatment and evaluation, he said.
Firefighters and emergency medical personnel from Stetson and Etna assisted state police at the accident scene, Snow said. He said Route 143 was closed to accommodate accident reconstruction specialists and was expected to remain closed until late Wednesday night.
Absolutely heartbreaking, I’m so sorry for this family and their loss.
Terrible. Life is just too fragile.
Terrible tragedy with great loss…..certainly thoughts are with those involved in this accident.
We were 5 seconds behind the truck that got hit…we were right there and saw the entire thing…we tried to give the female and male assistance, but I could not find a pulse on their necks or their wrists……they weren’t more than 30……what a sad and awful thing.
I applaud you for stopping to help. I hope you don’t suffer as a result of the trauma of witnessing this.
Not everyone breaks down at the first sight of trauma!
PTSD is a real thing and stigmatizing it only does harm for everyone as a whole. Do not be afraid to admit that you need help and do not be afraid to seek it.
Abbyisgod, no matter how hardened you are, I can’t imagine seeing that accident or its immediate aftermath would be anything but traumatic for most people. Mike was just expressing a little humanity here. How can that possibly be a bad thing?
Thank you for your concern. Yesterday was my birthday so my mother and I were in Stetson to ‘visit’ my father who is buried in Clarke’s Hill Cemetery. She’s 80 and dad has been gone 40 years. His birthday and my birthday are a couple days apart- so my mother goes out every year to pour a beer on his headstone to ‘celebrate’ his and my birthday. We were on our way home from Mom’s yearly ritual when we just happened to be at that intersection. I could see the Ford coming and I could see the other truck coming and the Ford wasn’t slowing down for the stop sign. We slammed on the breaks or we would have been in the middle of it- as it was we had bits and pieces of truck shrapnel hit our car and come in the windows which were open- my mom has a little cut from something hitting her.
I feel badly that there wasn’t anything that could be done for this couple. I can’t imagine what their families are going through and I wish them the very best. All I can say is it was instantaneous, they did not suffer, they were not conscious and perhaps that might help their families in some way.
Thank you for what you did to try to help them….RIP to those that have passed…
My heart goes out to family and friends of the deceased. Please people,pay attention and drive.I drive alot of miles every day and I see people go thru stop signs,red lights and so many people not paying attention.especially on the interstate. Stop coming into my lane when I am passing you and stop coming into my lane when u are passing me.
And for the love of God, when people are trying to merge onto the interstate, please MOVE OVER. I can’t tell you how many near misses I have had from people or myself having to come to a complete stop trying to get onto the interstate because people wouldn’t just move over.
Um you have to yield. I agree people are D Bags about moving over, but nothing more than politeness requires them to. And if they feel they can’t change lanes to let you on (possibly putting themselves in danger?) then the onus is on you to stop. Also, MOST highway on ramps turn into breakdown lanes at their end. If worse comes to worse, drive into the breakdown lane and merge or stop.
And nothing irks me more than people who stop right where the on ramp meets the travel lane and wait to merge. You have hundreds of feet ahead of you before the on ramp becomes the a fore mentioned breakdown lane. Stop at the end of it if you have to.
And while we are on interstate ramp pet peeves, the other things that drive me nuts is people who slow down in the travel lane before they move into the off ramp. The second they get parallel to the off ramp they decrease speed, and the SLOWLY merge into the off ramp. Meanwhile i’m jamming on the brakes in the travel lane because half of their car is in it and suddenly they’re going 35. Off ramps are built so you can exit the highway at the speed limit and stop as needed at the end of it.
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make it look like I don’t intend to yield or that it makes me mad when they CAN’T get over. I mean when the person in front of you slams on their brakes at the end of the on ramp because 3 cars are traveling in the right lane and refuse to move over into an empty fast lane.
I always just drive into the break down lane until I can get in.
this was an intersection people…just pay your respects to the people involved and stop talking about merging onto I-95. jesus.
Im so heart broken! My daughter’s mimi and papa are in heaven looking down at their amazing children and grandchildren! You were amazing grandparents and she will miss you so much!
sorry for your loss ; (
I’m very sorry for your loss. Thoughts and prayers for you.
Two people lost their lives in this accident. If you have a pet peeve about an on ramp show a little sensitivity and discuss it somewhere else.
Thoughts and prayers are with all of the involved. Please be careful, you just never know.
I feel so horrible for these poor people and the family they left behind. I keep thinking that if I hadn’t decided to stop at the store on the way home that it could have been me in that accident. Pay attention and stop at stop signs. They are there for a reason!
I’m glad you stopped at the store.
Must have been the trucks fault! After all, trucks cause accidents, right BDN!
Troll
come on man, this isn’t the place or article to start stuff like this.
2 people lost their lives, have some respect.
Which one? They were both trucks according to the article…..
Ummm there were 2 trucks and yes one TRUCK blew through the stop sign and hit the other TRUCK. If that’s all you got out of this article about this accident where 2 people actually died……you’re pathetic.
Everyone involved needs prayers 2 of my sons were in the other truck and yes thank god they are alive but there will need to be many prayers for many people involved here.. both of them and all of us have alot of healing to be done. My prayers go out to the family that lost there loved ones , and hopefully prayers will be said for my family.
I knew the family that died and they were great people… People need to step back and realize that the family and friends are greving and the stuff people are saying is not right. No one knows what happened and no one has all the facts. Jackie and Butch were great people and I know I will cherrish the memories I have from them when I was little. RIP Jackie and Butch…..
i knew three out of the four people involved. I knew jackie and butch from growing up and they were great parents. Thier family is in a lot of pain and people do not need to be making matters worse. Yes, two people died and yes two survived. Thank God.
The thompson family lost two amazing awesome people and they will ALWAYS be remembered. RIP Butch and jackie
The chambers family was blessed, and I am sorry that this had happen and happy to hear that your family will be ok
RIP Butch and Jackie.
RIP Butch and Jackie. My family and I will greatly miss you. We will hang onto many great memories from over the years!
RIP Butch and Jackie. You will be greatly missed by me and my family. We will hang on to the many great memories!
To everybody who stopped to try and help Butch and Jackie, I thank you for your compassion and concern for a fellow human. Butch was my baby brother, and I will miss him dearly. Again, thank you for all of your prayers and concern for our family.
you are not the only that is greatful that some peple tryed to help them i will miss my brother as well as the rest of you my prayers are with you love your little sis wilma
thank you all for trying to help my sister im going to miss her