Bangor Daily News
BANGOR, Maine — Two snowmobilers from Massachusetts were seriously injured when each crashed his sled on or near a parked camper trailer on Sunday morning.
Thomas Stewart, 38, of Westford, Mass., and Thomas Henry, 37, of Methuen, Mass., were leaving Rangeley Lake at approximately 2:30 a.m. Sunday and were heading toward ITS 84, according to a press release issued by Deborah Turcotte, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spokeswoman. The trailhead is marked with flashing yellow lights to assist sledders in finding their way to the groomed trail, Turcotte said.
Stewart, who was wearing a helmet, struck a parked camper trailer and suffered hip injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Henry, who also was wearing a helmet, saw Stewart strike the camper at the last moment, swung his sled to miss the trailer and hit a clump of cedar trees, according to wardens. He suffered two breaks in his left leg and other injuries. He was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. His injuries are serious but not considered life-threatening, Turcotte said.
Warden Sgt. Tim Place said both men have been charged with reckless operation of a snowmobile. The incident remains under investigation. Wardens Brock Clukey, Dave Chabot and Dan Christenson, along with Sgt. Place, went to the scene of the accident.
Wardens were notified of the incident at 4 a.m. Sunday.
On Saturday, Peter D. Durette Jr., 46, of Lyman suffered a serious leg injury when he struck 2-foot-high humic - a patch of packed ice - in the East Cove of Moosehead Lake at approximately 1:30 p.m. His snowmobile launched into the air, flipped and rolled down the ice approximately 150 feet, according to the press release.
Warden Eric Dauphinee said he met Durette and three other snowmobilers at the Black Frog in Greenville, where the friends brought Durette to attend to the wound on his right leg. Durette was taken to C.A. Dean Memorial Hospital in Greenville and later to a Portland hospital for further care. He was in stable condition.
In Bradstreet Township, just south of Jackman, a Winslow man suffered a broken arm when he and another snowmobiler hit each other head-on at approximately 11 a.m. Sunday on at the crest of a hill on ITS 89. Darrell Wentworth, 35, of Winslow was traveling south and Mark Thornton, 39, of Boothbay Harbor was traveling northbound when the two collided.
Wentworth was taken by Jackman Fire and Rescue to Jackman Health Center, then transferred to Redington Fairview Hospital in Skowhegan. The incident remains under investigation.
Wardens Troy Dauphinee and Tom McKenney and Sgt. Bill Chandler went to the accident scene, along with warden service investigators Kevin Anderson and Jason Luce.
The Maine Warden Service is reminding snowmobilers to use caution when out on the snowmobile trails, day and night. Snowmobilers also are reminded to not drink and drive, to ride at a reasonable and prudent speed for conditions, and to wear a helmet.
Each year, the Maine Warden Service investigates several incidents where snowmobile operators are traveling too fast and outrun their headlights. As during the day, snowmobilers out at night are urged to ride at prudent speeds for conditions so they have adequate time to react to obstacles in front of them.
Copyright 2010 Bangor Daily News