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LEBANON, ME - The Lebanon Rescue Department, Lebanon Fire Department and York County Sheriff’s Department responded to a fatal motor vehicle accident in front of 1363 Carl Broggi Highway in West Lebanon on Friday afternoon. The accident was reported to emergency crews at 13:05.

“Lebanon Ambulance One arrived on scene about 3 minutes after the accident was reported and found two cars that had struck head on with multiple patients. The driver of the 2000 Gray Hyundai Elentra was pronounced dead on arrival of emergency medical technicians. He is believed to be a 21 year old male from Massachusetts. The 5 occupants of the 2004 Chrysler Sebring were all injured, and EMS Command called in two additional ambulances to assist with transports. All five patients from the Chrysler were transported by ambulances to Frisbie Hospital in Rochester. The five people in the Chrysler were all wearing their seatbelt. It does not appear at this time that the operator of the Hyundai was wearing his seatbelt.” Lebanon Rescue Chief Samantha Cole added.

The York County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the accident and trying to determine a cause. Two officers from the Sanford Police Department responded to assist with the accident reconstruction.

“It was reported to us that the Hyundai Elentra was traveling eastbound on Carl Broggi Highway when for some reason it crossed into the westbound lane and struck a trailer that was being towed by a vehicle. The Hyundai then reportedly continued in the Westbound lane and struck the Chrysler head-on. The driver of the vehicle and trailer was not injured in the accident.” Assistant Chief Jason Cole added.

Carl Broggi Highway was closed for about three and a half hours while rescue crews tended to the patients at the scene and police reconstructed the accident. Traffic was closed in both directions from Hartford Lane to the West Lebanon Road/Hubbard Road intersection.

The names of all the patients cannot be released by the rescue due to HIPAA laws.

Inside the Chrysler, all 5 occupants were transported. The driver was a 36 year old female from Milton, NH. In the front seat was a 16 year old male from Lebanon. In the back seat was a 16 year old male and 15 year old male both from Lebanon. There was also a 16 year old male from Berwick, Maine. The Berwick teen appeared to be injured the most seriously.

“The impact was severe and both vehicles were totaled in the collision. All five patients that had their seatbelts on were conscious and alert. The ambulance crew that arrived just after the accident happened advised that there were a lot of bystanders who stopped to help all the victims. Unfortunately, the driver of the Hyundai was deceased upon the arrival of emergency crews” Chief Samantha Cole added.

The posted speed limit where the crash happened is 55 miles per hour. The rescue had been working with the sheriff’s department over concerns about the amount of serious accidents on Carl Broggi Highway. The sheriff’s department placed a speed trailer to monitor the speed of traffic on Carl Broggi Highway in front of the rescue station, about ½ mile from the accident scene.

Lieutenant Gary Fecteau of the York County Sheriff’s Department advised he will be releasing a press release when information becomes available. We believe they are still trying to notify the victims family.

“These calls are extremely tough on the responders. They have responded to several serious calls where younger people have died and it takes a toll on them. We will offer assistance for any of the responders who need it. We have experienced several fatal accidents over the past few years where younger people were killed. In a small town, you often know the patients, and that makes it even harder.” Chief Samantha Cole added.

Frisbie Ambulance in Rochester, NH and Milton Ambulance (NH) were called in to assist Lebanon Rescue with the 5 patients transported.