WOOLWICH, Maine — An 84-year-old Florida man died Friday from head injuries suffered in a four-vehicle collision at the intersection of Route 1 and Shaw Road Thursday, a spokesman for the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office said.
Paul Simpson of Bradenton, Florida, had been in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries, officials said. He was taken by ambulance to Mid Coast Medical Center in Brunswick and then later to Maine Medical Thursday.
The accident was reported around 4:30 p.m. Thursday. That’s when a 2011 Chevy pickup truck driven northbound on Route 1 by Thomas Palmer, 45, of Montpelier, Vermont, rear-ended a Toyota sedan driven by Albert Pinkham, 39, of Wiscasset, the sheriff’s office said.
The collision forced Pinkham’s sedan, which was waiting to turn left onto Shaw Road, into the southbound lane, where it hit a southbound 2015 Honda van driven by Simpson. The van then collided with a 2009 Honda SUV driven by 66-year-old Martin Hayden of Brunswick, the sheriff’s office said.
Simpson’s wife, 70-year-old Gloria Simpson, and Hayden, were transported to Mid Coast Thursday, according to the sheriff’s office. Gloria Simpson was listed as being in satisfactory condition late Thursday, a nursing supervisor said.
The four vehicles were totaled. The occupants were wearing seatbelts, the sheriff’s office said.
“The accident remains under investigation and it could be several days before deputies can piece together the actions that caused the accident,” Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said Friday.