A Smithfield woman injured in a head-on crash on the River Road in Norridgewock on Thursday remains in critical condition at a Bangor hospital Monday, according to a friend.
Devon Periard, 65, has been placed in a medically-induced coma, according to friend Nanci Greene. Severe injuries Periard suffered in the collision with a pickup truck include two broken arms, broken ribs, a punctured lung, a shattered kneecap and a shattered elbow.
Devon Periard Photo provided by Nanci Greene
Calls made to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor to confirm Periard’s condition were not returned as of deadline.
Medical updates on the two men from Anson traveling in the pickup were not available Monday. As of Friday, Robert Miller, 72, was listed in critical condition, but no report was available for Joseph Colombo, 67, who was a passenger in the truck, according to a Maine Medical Center spokesperson.
Officers responded to the report of an accident on River Road in Norridgewock at 2:35 p.m. Thursday. Miller was driving a white 1983 Toyota pickup truck west on River Road with Colombo when he collided with Periard, who was driving a silver 2008 Ford Focus 4-door sedan heading east.
Ambulances took all three to Redington Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan. LifeFlight flew the men to Maine Medical Center in Portland and Periard to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor to be treated for multiple injuries.
All three were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. Icy road conditions and sunlight are believed to be factors in the crash, Somerset County Chief Deputy Mike Mitchell said Friday.
Attempts to find relatives of Miller and Colombo were not successful Monday.
Greene met Periard at the First Congregational Church of Norridgewock, she said, where Greene plays instruments and Periard is a member of the choir. When the previous pastor resigned, Periard volunteered to take his place as she is a certified lay minister.
While Periard recovers, Greene is undertaking some of her duties, she said, while deacons and trustees search for others to provide more coverage.
“I’m guessing she won’t be able to come back for at least a year,” Greene said Monday. “She is going to need a lot of surgery and therapy. But they’re a tough bunch, those Periards.”
Greene said Periard had been organizing a service called the Longest Night Services that took place over the weekend to support those who struggle with loss during the holidays. Elizabeth Coro, who worked with Periard at the Madison Congregational Church, held the service in Periard’s place.
“(Coro) was instrumental in putting together this service on Saturday,” Greene said.
The service was open to anyone and about 15 people came out to share a peaceful evening. “We had folks coming from the First Baptist Church of Norridgewock.”
The service isn’t a “happy” service, as Greene described it, but instead is meant to comfort those who have experienced any kind of loss and struggle during the holidays.
“We included Devon in our prayers,” Greene said.
“We have people in Norridgewock, Smithfield and Skowhegan and all of the towns around here praying for her and the two men that were injured,” Greene said. “This is all small-town America. Everybody seems to know everybody. When things like this happen, everyone is affected.”
Greene said that her Sunday sermon included a message of anticipation, which she found fitting.
“We talked about anticipation and how we can’t always anticipate things,” Greene said. “Sometimes things just don’t turn out the way that we think, and sometimes we’re hit with a surprise that isn’t always nice.”
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