Three cars collide on Stillwater Avenue
Second multi-car accident in two weeks
by Derek McKinley

A three-car collision on Stillwater Avenue in Old Town diverted traffic for nearly an hour this afternoon after a Jeep Grand Cherokee smashed into the back of a grey sedan, causing heavy damage to the car's rear and scattering debris onto the road.

A pickup truck was also involved in the accident, but was undamaged and allowed to leave shortly after police arrived.

There was only one person in the Jeep, a college-aged man, and the sedan carried an elderly couple. None of the three reported any injuries, but ambulances were called as a precaution. Fire trucks were on the scene as well, as both cars were leaking fuel and heavy debris was strewn onto the busy street.

Several officers were dispatched to divert the flow of traffic into one lane, causing lengthy delays. A clean-up crew quickly removed fenders and large pieces of metal from both cars to allow the flow of traffic to resume.

Officer Debbie Holmes was at the scene to hear the victims’ stories, and determine the cause of the initial impact.



This is neither the first nor the largest accident that has occurred on the busy stretch of road in the last couple of weeks, Holmes said. Distracted driving, which Maine passed a law against on September 12th, may be at the heart of some of the accidents, she added.

Currently, a law must be broken before a person can be pulled over and additionally ticketed for distracted driving. Officers around the state have said they will issue warnings for the first couple of months before citing offenders. Several drivers are either unaware of the law or unsure about the boundaries it sets. Old Town resident Bill White is not totally sure about what is still allowed.



Although all passengers were unhurt in this instance, Holmes says it's good to have the emergency crew on hand just to be safe.



Here is video footage of the accident scene: