A Windsor physician who practiced at Sheepscot Valley Health Center in Coopers Mills for more than 30 years died Thursday, Oct. 13 from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident in Windsor three days earlier.
Dr. Carol Eckert, 63, of Windsor, was bicycling near her home the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 10, according to the Kennebec Journal, which cited Kennebec County Sheriff Ryan Reardon.
James Mayo, 20, of Somerville, was driving a 2004 GMC Sierra pickup south in the area of 466 Wingood Road. Mayo told the investigator, Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Dutil, that the sun was in his eyes, according to the report.
Mayo heard a noise and stopped the vehicle, then saw a bicycle on the shoulder and a woman in the ditch. Mayo provided first aid while a passenger in the vehicle called 911. The accident was reported at 4:49 p.m.
Eckert sustained head injuries and several fractures. She had been wearing her helmet when the accident occurred, and was unconscious when rescue personnel arrived.
A LifeFlight helicopter transported Eckert to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where she died Thursday, Oct. 13, on her 63rd birthday.
There was no indication alcohol or speed was involved, Reardon told the Kennebec Journal. No citations have been issued. The investigation is ongoing.
In 1982, Eckert joined the Sheepscot Valley Health Center in Coopers Mills, where she practiced for more than 30 years.
She became a “float physician” for 11 health centers operated by HealthReach Network, the parent organization of Sheepscot Valley Health Center, in 2013.
A memorial celebration for Eckert will take place at the Windsor Fire Department at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22.
