READFIELD – Police say speed and distraction may have played a role in a Saturday evening crash that killed a Mount Vernon man and injured the teenage driver.

Gabriel Soucy, 20, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Lane Road and P Ridge Road, Acting Lt. Aaron Hayden of the Maine State Police said in a news release.

Additional Photos

Police said a 17-year-old Wayne boy was driving a 1993 Ford F-150 east on fog-blanketed Lane Road in Readfield when he failed to stop at an intersection and hit a tree head-on. Maine State Police photo

The driver, a 17-year-old Wayne boy, was taken by ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston with what were believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, said state police spokesman Steve McCausland. An update of the driver’s condition was unavailable Sunday.

The driver’s name is being withheld because he may be charged with a crime, McCausland said. The district attorney will make a decision on whether to bring charges after reviewing the results of the investigation, he said.

Hayden said the teen was driving a 1993 Ford F-150 east on Lane Road when he failed to stop at the P Ridge Road intersection.

“The vehicle went through the intersection and struck a tree head-on,” Hayden said. Dense fog blanketed the area at the time of the crash and the road was wet, he said.

“Speed and distracted driving are being considered as contributing factors in the crash. However, the crash remains under investigation by state police,” Hayden said.

Emergency crews quickly closed off surrounding roads and kept bystanders several hundred yards away from the scene. The area is rural, with few houses in the vicinity.

Accident reconstructionists were seen marking the pavement in the area of the crash.

Kennebec Journal Staff Writer Craig Crosby can be contacted at 621-5642 or at:

ccrosby@centralmaine.com

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