Black ice is cited as a factor in four early morning car accidents that all occurred within two hours of each other.
The first accident of the day occurred at 5:30 a.m. on the Pittston Rd. in Whitefield, the second at the intersection of Rts. 1 and 27 in Edgecomb at 5:40 a.m., a third on Barter’s Island Rd. in Boothbay at 7:24 and a fourth on the Cedar Grove Rd. (Rt. 128) in Dresden.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the crash in Dresden resulted in serious head injuries to a two-year-old child.
Traveling south on Rt. 128 in Dresden, Tonia Clark, 35, of Dresden was driving her 1996 Saab sedan with her two-year-old child in the back seat when a 1986 Chevrolet pickup operated by Mark McConnell, 49, of Richmond crossed the centerline as it was heading north on Rt. 128.
According to the accident report by Lt. Rand Maker, Clark attempted to avoid the collision by steering right, toward the ditch. McConnell’s truck began to rotate on the black ice as he was driving up the hill, sending the truck over the center line, where the truck struck the sedan’s driver’s side door. Both vehicles came to a rest in the southbound ditch.
Officers said neither speed nor alcohol appear to be factors in the collision and no criminal charges are being contemplated. Sgt. Jason Nein, an LCSO accident reconstruction specialist is investigating the accident.
Law enforcement officials said the number of accidents on Thursday is relatively small compared to what they anticipate after the first snowstorm.
“We’ll have a lot worse days than this when the first snow storm comes,” Lt. Maker said.
Boothbay Police Chief Bob Hasch said it is important to advise people to get snow tires on their vehicles before the first storm, but he still expects there will be some people who will slide off the road.
