One of Maine’s most congested roads was shut down for more than two hours Monday after two cars collided on the Davis Island Bridge in Edgecomb.
Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett said traffic on Route 1 backed up for several miles in both directions, until deputies got traffic moving again by detouring vehicles around the crash site onto Eddy Road.
Brackett said police shut down both lanes while emergency responders treated three injured people, including one person who was airlifted by helicopter with possible life-threatening injuries.
Lt. Rand Maker said a 1995 Subaru station wagon was heading north on Route 1 when it hit a guardrail along the southbound lane about 12:35 p.m.
The station wagon then hit a 2009 Mercury Marquis head-on, he said.
The Subaru’s driver was taken to Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta with head and neck injuries. The driver of the Mercury was taken to Midcoast Hospital in Brunswick with minor injuries.
A passenger in the Mercury was airlifted with injuries to his head and internal organs that could be life-threatening, police said.
The section of Route 1 that was affected by the crash carries traffic through downtown Wiscasset.
Congestion in Wiscasset, especially during the summer, has gotten so bad in recent years that state transportation officials have been looking at the feasibility of building a bypass.
Charity Chubbuck, a receptionist at Wiscasset Ford, said the accident caused northbound traffic to back up almost to the dealership, which is more than a mile from downtown Wiscasset and close to two miles from the site of the accident.
Chubbuck decided against driving through Wiscasset to pick up her son in Damariscotta. Instead, she took several back roads to reach Damariscotta, a trip that she said took more than an hour.
Blood samples were taken from both drivers in the crash, but Maker said alcohol and speed are not considered factors.
The names of the victims were not released Monday pending notification of their relatives.
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at: dhoey@pressherald.com
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