THORNDIKE, Maine — Seven students from the College of the Atlantic and a man from Pennsylvania were injured Sunday when two passenger vans collided at the intersection of Route 220 and Crosby Brook Road.
The names and ages of the injured were not immediately available. Trooper Bethany Robinson of the Maine State Police said the students’ family members were still being notified late Sunday afternoon.
Robinson said that one of the college students was flown by LifeFlight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where she was listed in stable condition late Sunday afternoon. She suffered head injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening, the trooper said.
The other students were taken to Inland Hospital in Waterville and Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, where the driver of the other van also was taken, Robinson said. He suffered broken bones, but his injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, she said.
Robinson said that nine students were riding in the van but two of them declined to go to the hospital.
The crash happened about 11:45 a.m. The group from the Bar Harbor college was in the area to attend Great Maine Apple Day at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s Common Ground Learning Center on Crosby Brook Road in nearby Unity, Robinson said.
Robinson said it appears that the van carrying the college students failed to yield to the southbound van driven by the Pennsylvania motorist while making a left turn onto Crosby Brook Road.
Ambulances from several surrounding communities were required, Robinson said. She said that two LifeFlight helicopters initially were requested but only one of them was needed.
“It was a joint effort. Everyone did a really good job,” she said.