VAN BUREN, Maine — A 41-year-old Van Buren man who police said was traveling at an “extremely high rate of speed” was killed Sunday after an early afternoon accident on U.S. Route 1.
The accident that killed Scott Cormier and sent a Connecticut couple to Cary Medical Center in Caribou took place at around 12:30 p.m. and closed the road for nearly four hours.
Van Buren Police Sgt. Luc Dyer said Joseph Parent, 71, of Connecticut was driving northbound with a female passenger that police believe was his wife. The couple was in a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis.
Dyer said that Cormier, who was driving a 2001 GMC Yukon, struck the back of Parent’s vehicle. The impact forced Parent’s vehicle off the road, into a ditch and then into a dooryard. The vehicle barely missed hitting the house, Dyer said.
Cormier careened off the roadway, went airborne and vaulted over a guardrail and into a ravine. He was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
His vehicle caught fire, which was extinguished by the Van Buren Fire Department.
Van Buren Ambulance took Parent and his passenger to the Caribou hospital. Dyer said that the pair was in stable condition. He was not sure if they were wearing seat belts, but he said that he believed they were.
Van Buren Police Chief Mike Bresett, Officer Cameron Dufour, Aroostook County Sheriff’s Detective Ross McQuade and State Police Trooper Chuck Michaud assisted at the scene.
Wow! Something must’ve really set this guy of to drive like that!
I hope the older couple will be okay. Innocent bystanders trying to enjoy Labor Day weekend up there where ‘life is slower’.
Mainers are making great decisions these days. I’m glad the innocent couple was not killed – they are fortunate.
Life in Maine is just GREAT
That is terrible. I hope the couple recovers quickly.
Also, “dooryard”? Really, BDN?
Yes “dooryard” is what we call it up here. BDN you go girl.
Love it bdn. keepin it real. Out of staters don’t get words like this. I love it.
I admit it. I’m a County girl through and through.
You forgot to write that the vehicles were all stove up.
It’s the same as one person calling it soda and another calling it pop.
or tonic.
They made fun of me in the midwest about that – asked me why I would drink hair tonic. First time I ordered a regular coffee I got it served black. They reckon a bit differently over there.
wth? a dooryard is just that a dooryard…BDN is reporting a serious accident , wth is wrong with you people, get your heads out of the clouds and think of all the people with heavy hearts at this time, just thank the Good Lord its not you greiving..
Look it up in the dictionary. Hey you just learned a new word.
Yes, dooryard. I have one too. I like my dooryard and also my backyard. Of course I don’t have a place that abuts the road. Then I’d have no yard.
My husband and I where there. We were just trying to take a nice day trip to Fort Kent. Asked a man what happened and they said there was an accident and someone died. Saw the hearse come up and take him away. :/ Hope the couple recover quickly!
RIP Scott C and may the couple have a speedy recovery.
I was on board a Carrier during the Vietnam war, 5000 men on the ship, and six I can remember were from Maine, you hardly saw anybody really, except to what your duties were, but the word dooryard, and the way we say cards is strickly Maine. Nobody knew the term dooryard.
When my brother went to basic training at Fort Dix NJ, he was often asked to pronouce “horse” — for all the obvious reasons!
I’m from SOUTHERN Maine and never knew what a dooryard was until I moved north!
A guy gets killed and there are comments on semantics. Nice. We could offer thoughts and prayers to the Cormier family and be thankful that the Connecticut couple were not seriously injured or killed.
If you have a death wish, or are under the influence, please try NOT to take innocent others with you- don’t involve others in your own risky choices.
Those who speed rarely think of others except to think they’re in the way. However, a man died due to his own negligence and my condolences are for his family and friends. I’m sure he thought he was a safe driver and able to handle the speed since.