GLENBURN, Maine — A 59-year-old Orono woman suffered a serious leg injury Friday after losing control of her 1989 Harley Davidson motorcycle at the intersection of Orono and Pushaw roads, a Penobscot County sheriff’s deputy said Friday evening.
Wendy Colavecchio, who lost consciousness after the crash, was flown to Eastern Maine Medical Center by LifeFlight, Deputy Mark Lloyd said. He said that while her injuries were serious, they were not considered life-threatening.
It took rescue personnel using hydraulic extrication tools an hour and 20 minutes to free her leg from the wreckage, he said.
“It was not a pretty scene. Because of the situation, LifeFlight air and ground came,” Lloyd said. Assisting were personnel from the Glenburn and Levant fire departments and G&H Ambulance, he said.
According to Lloyd, the accident happened at 4 p.m., when Colavecchio stopped at the intersection on Orono Road. As she was turning left onto Pushaw Road, she lost control of her motorcycle on gravel that had accumulated over the winter, crossed the road and crashed.
“It was her first ride of the year, and there was gravel at that intersection because unfortunately it’s been so dry we haven’t had rains to wash off some of the road salt and sand from the winter,” Lloyd said.
“So when she tried to make a left hand turn, the bike kicked out and that started the chain of events that she couldn’t recover from,” Lloyd said.
Lloyd said several people witnessed the accident, including a former Maine State Police trooper, “so we had a really good witness. He was two vehicles behind her and witnessed the whole thing.”
Colavecchio’s motorcycle was heavily damaged, Lloyd said.
Her family has set up a GoFundMe page to collect donations to help pay for expenses as she recovers.