The Maine Warden Service said there were a half-dozen serious snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle crashes in the state Friday and Saturday, resulting in two deaths.

According to the service, a snowmobiler from Massachusetts ran into a parked vehicle on East Branch Road in the Oxford County town of Byron late Friday night. Leonardo V. Rodrigues, 34, of Everett, Mass., was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where he died of his injuries.

One of the other three snowmobilers with Rodrigues, William Ashmore, 39, of Boston, was arrested by Maine State Police and charged with operating a snowmobile under the influence.

The Warden Service is continuing to investigate the crash and said speed and alcohol were believed to be factors in Rodrigues’ crash.

The service said wardens and troopers also responded to a fatal crash in the Oxford County town of Dixfield on Friday night. The name of the person who died and details of the crash were not available Saturday night.

On Saturday morning, an ATV went through the ice on Round Pond in Steuben. The Warden Service said the ATV of Everett Mathews Jr. of Cherryfield fell through the ice and sank in about 12 feet of water. Mathews was able to get out of the water and back to his camp. Arrangements were being made to pull the ATV from the water.

Wardens said they dealt with three other snowmobile crashes Friday and Saturday that resulted in injuries that required the victims to be taken to hospitals. None of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening. One of the incidents, in Franklin County, was believed to be alcohol-related and remains under investigation, the Warden Service said.

Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at:

emurphy@pressherald.com


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