This morning’s light snowfall continues to make for slippery driving, particularly in York County which has been inundated with minor crashes.
“This is unbelievable today,” said Maj. William King, of the York County Sheriff’s Office. “Route 111, it’s just like a skating rink.” King said it took him a couple hours longer to get to work this morning because he kept stopping for crashes along the way.
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In one case, a tractor-trailer jackknifed and while the driver was able to regain control of the rig, a teacher heading to Lyman Elementary School swerved and went off the road, hitting a sign, he said. Farther down the road, a pickup went off the pavement, and as people slowed to look, others lost control and went off the road, he said.
King said road crews were working to clear the snow, but very cold temperatures were keeping the roads slick.
In Gorham this morning, police had to close Route 114, also called Fort Hill Road, while a wrecker removed an SUV from the site of a dramatic accident.
Police say Christina Larrivee was extremely lucky to escape serious injury when the 1997 Chevy Tahoe she was driving launched over a guardrail and flew 30 feet before landing on the embankment below, then continuing another 30 feet before coming to rest alongside a river.
Larrivee. 48, of Gorham, who was wearing her seatbelt, had been driving south when she came upon another car that had gone off the road and was being pulled back onto the pavement. She tried to stop, but the truck skidded and she lost control, police said.
The crash was one of dozens of accidents reported by police in southern Maine.
The National Weather Service in Gray said temperatures have actually risen since the 13 below zero reading in Portland Monday morning. Temperatures had risen to 11 degrees by 11:15 a.m. this morning.
10:38 a.m.
PORTLAND — Southbound commuter traffic was slowed by four crashes on Interstate 295 and a rollover in Falmouth on the Maine Turnpike.
The crashes occurred between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and did not result in any serious injuries. The interstate crashes were between Topsham and Falmouth.
A school bus collided with a pickup on Shaker and Mayberry roads in Gray at 8:30 a.m. but nobody was injured and there was only minor damage, authorities said.
There were numerous minor crashes and cars sliding off the road in southern Maine because of the morning snow.
The snow prompted a call to slow down on the Maine Turnpike.
At 6 a.m. today the turnpike authority reduced the speed to 45 mph on the turnpike from Kittery to exit 109 in Augusta.
The National Weather Service is predicting up to an inch of snow before 1 p.m., enough to make the roads slippery.
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