FAIRFIELD — An accident on Route 139, also known as Norridgewock Road, involving a tractor-trailer and three other vehicles occurred late Friday afternoon, injuring one person who required hospital treatment.
The accident, reported at 4:02 p.m. between Middle and Covell roads, backed up northbound traffic for miles. Southbound traffic was reported to be moving.
Detours were set up at Middle Road and Covell Road, directing traffic away from the accident scene.
Fairfield police Chief Tom Gould said there were injuries but no fatalaties.
Fire and emergency medical personnel from Fairfield and Waterville were dispatched to the scene, as were Delta ambulances. A LifeFlight of Maine helicopter was dispatched initially to the accident, but later was turned back.
The accident occurred as William Tanner, 72, of Norridgewock Road, Fairfield, was stopped in traffic waiting to turn into a driveway in his 2007 Subaru, Gould said in an email message later that night. Taner’s car was struck from behind by a 2018 Ram Promaster cargo van driven by Travis Yahn, of Anson.
The impact pushed the Subaru into oncoming traffic and under the bed of a southbound 2018 tractor-trailer owned and operated by James Horler, of New Gloucester, Gould said. Early reports were that the Subaru was on fire, but bystanders extinguished the fire quickly and stood by until firefighters and police arrived. A fourth vehicle, a 2015 Buick Encore driven by Arthur Potter, of Farmington, was struck by a tire that was ripped from the trailer dolly wheels on the tractor-trailer and had rolled several hundred yards along Norridgewock Road.
Tanner was taken to MaineGeneral Medial Center’s Thayer Center for Health in Waterville with chest injuries and was in stable condition, Gould said. No other injuries were reported. The crash is under investigation and Maine State Police were called in to map and reconstruct the accident.
Norridgewock Road reopened to traffic by 8 p.m.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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