A nor’easter brought a mix of high winds, snow, rain and sleet to Maine on Tuesday, causing numerous accidents that included a fatal crash in Fryeburg.

Police Chief Joshua Potvin said a 2011 GMC pickup driven by Paul Cundiff, 64, of Porter, went off Route 5 near Bog Pond Road in Fryeburg late Tuesday morning. The southbound truck hit a tree, killing passenger Rhonda Robblee, 47, of Brownfield.

Cundiff was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and was initially listed in critical condition. His condition was not available Tuesday night.

Snow and icy roads, along with unsafe speed, contributed to the crash, Potvin said.

Windham Fire Chief Charlie Hammond said the weight of wet snow on a carport roof caused it to collapse onto a parked car at 22 Sebago Woods Trail. No one was in the car when the structure collapsed at around 5:30 p.m.

Bridgton police officer Joshua Muise said a town plow that was sanding South High Street – part of Route 117 – rolled onto its side Tuesday morning after its driver lost control. Muise said the driver was treated for injuries that were believed to be minor.

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Central Maine Power Co. reported just over 1,300 power outages, while Emera Maine had more than 3,400 outages as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Some inland schools canceled classes Tuesday.

Lewiston Superintendent Bill Webster tweeted, “No school today in Lewiston and Auburn. The forecast is for 3 to 6 inches of snow by 3 p.m. and then changing to sleet and freezing rain. Ugh.”

Margaret Curtis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said it rained along the coast for most of the day and snowed over inland areas. Mountain regions of the state could get as much as 14 inches of snow by the time the storm ends Wednesday.

“There was a lot of mixing with this storm,” Curtis said. “Many areas have seen the whole gamut (of precipitation).

Cape Elizabeth reported the heaviest rainfall, with 2.21 inches. The Portland International Jetport received 1.7 inches of rain. Winds gusted at speeds up to 50 mph along the coast, Curtis said.

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The storm started causing problems during the morning commute Tuesday, when a tractor-trailer jackknifed on Killick Pond Road in Hollis. The truck was going down an icy hill when the empty flatbed trailer slid sideways into a guardrail at 9:08 a.m. at the intersection with Plains Road.

Traffic was backed up for more than an hour, Maine State Police Trooper Matthew Williams said. Nobody was injured, but the crash ruptured one of the truck’s fuel tanks, spilling 100 gallons of fuel, he said.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was called to deal with the spill, which did not threaten any bodies of water, Williams said.

The National Weather Service said a flood watch will remain in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday.


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