Maine Injury Lawyer Blog

An 83-year-old woman and a toddler were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries Friday after a head-on collision on Old County Road. Mike Cole, 39, of Thomaston was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier south over packed snow, formed by "drifting and constant traffic," when he lost control on a curve and slid into the northbound lane, according to Sgt. Mike Janczura of the Thomaston Police Department. Jean Lorenzen, 83, of Thomaston, who was coming in the opposite direction in a 2004 Nissan Sentra, swerved to the right to avoid a crash, but the two cars hit head-on.

At this time, there is limited information on the cause of the crash. At Peter Thompson & Associates, we have investigated thousands of car crashes utilizing the very best experts in the field. It will be critical to conduct a timely investigation to preserve evidence at the accident scene and to record witness recollections of the events.

A second person has now died from injuries stemming from an accident just east of Aurora on Route 9, Friday. Police say Lorraine Rice of Pembroke died instantly. Her husband, Wayn Rice, was flown by lifeflight to Eastern Maine Medical Center, but later died of his injuries.

The SUV, a 2009 GMC Yukon, was driven by Holly Hubley, 45, of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hubley and her passenger, Trevor Graney, 35, also of Halifax, were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Bangor with non-life threatening injuries.

State Police say the Rices were in their 2002 Kia when it crossed the center line on a curve, and was struck on the passenger side by the SUV.

In this type of serious case, it is critical to conduct an accident reconstruction as soon as possible to preserve necessary evidence. For example, one of the best ways to determine whether speed was a factor in the accident is to examine and measure skid marks. Skid marks become markedly less visible as time passes, particularly if snow falls and the road is plowed. In addition, the damage to the vehicle is an excellent indicator of the speed of the vehicle immediately prior to impact, so it will be important to preserve the vehicle. At Peter Thompson & Associates, we have investigated hundreds of serious collisions and had the very best accident reconstructionists in the field determine how and why an accident occurred.

Police said Wednesday that driver inattention was the reason for a morning car accident that resulted in four passengers -- including a pregnant woman -- being taken to the hospital. According to Trooper Luke Cunningham of the Maine State Police, Holly Brown, 32, of Brooks was driving on Payson Road at 8:20 a.m. with passenger Amber Ayer, 10, of Brooks.

Meanwhile, Andrea Preble, 42, of Jackson was driving a 2001 Dodge Neon on Route 7 with passengers Ashley Jacobs, 10, Grace Jacobs, 4, and Caden Munroe, 3, all of Jackson. Brown's 2007 Chevy Cobalt approached the intersection with Route 7, but she "didn't see Andrea coming," Cunningham said. "She pulled out in front of her and they collided."

At Peter Thompson & Associates, we have investigated thousands of car crashes utilizing the very best experts in the field. It will be critical to conduct a timely investigation to preserve evidence at the accident scene and to record witness recollections of the events.

Maine police say icy road conditions and speed are the likely factors in a two-car crash east of Aurora that killed a woman and critically injured her husband.

Police are investigating whether 74-year-old Lorraine Rice of Pembroke, the operator of one of the two vehicles involved in the crash, was traveling at a speed unsafe for the slippery conditions.

The driver and a passenger in the other vehicle were injured and taken to a local hospital.

At this time, there is limited information on the cause of the crash. At Peter Thompson & Associates, we have investigated thousands of car crashes utilizing the very best experts in the field. It will be critical to conduct a timely investigation to preserve evidence at the accident scene and to record witness recollections of the events. Often skid marks and debris left from the vehicles will indicate not only the speed of the vehicles prior to impact, but the direction the vehicles were headed relative to each other.

A York teenager was indicted last week on several charges in connection with an alleged drunken-driving accident that sent two people to the hospital. Charles Loeffler, 18, 110 Long Sands Road, was indicted in York County Superior Court on charges of operating under the influence resulting in serious injury or death, and leaving the scene of an accident, both felony offenses. The charges arise out of an accident that occurred on Brave Boat Harbor Road in York last August. Police said Loeffler was driving a car just before 11:30 p.m. when the car struck a cement bridge abutment head-on.

After the crash, Loeffler and a 16-year-old passenger allegedly fled from the scene on foot, leaving another passenger injured in the back seat. That person, Cameron Rodriguez, 19, of York, received internal and head injuries as a result of the crash.

A China man has died after suffering severe injuries when he was struck by a plow truck on Sunday. Arthur Poulin, 82, suffered serious head injuries in the accident. Poulin was the father of retired Maine State Police Colonel Craig Poulin.

The cause of this accident is under investigation. As personal injury specialists, Peter Thompson & Associates has investigated hundreds of accidents. In almost all cases, the primary and secondary causes of collisions are disputed, resulting in the need for a comprehensive accident reconstruction. While police will often conduct an accident reconstruction, we find it frequently necessary to conduct more detailed investigations of accident scenes to determine who was at fault. Because important evidence that will be necessary to provide the most accurate investigation is often lost as time passes, it is critical that a comprehensive accident reconstruction occur as soon as possible and that all witnesses to the accident are interviewed to preserve their recollections.

January 3, 2010: A serious accident accident on Route 111 in Arundel injured six. Four ambulances were called to the scene.

At this time, there is limited information on the cause of the crash. At Peter Thompson & Associates, we have investigated thousands of car crashes utilizing the very best experts in the field. It will be critical to conduct a timely investigation to preserve evidence at the accident scene and to record witness recollections of the events. Often skid marks and debris left from the vehicles will indicate not only the speed of the vehicles prior to impact, but the direction the vehicles were headed relative to each other.