Limestone woman dies, 3 others seriously injured in Fort Fairfield crash

1 month ago

A Limestone woman died and three others were severely injured in a crash on Route 1A in Fort Fairfield Tuesday morning, Fort Fairfield Police Chief Matthew Cummings said in a release.

The area around 854 Limestone Road was closed until about 3 p.m. as police worked at the scene.

Limestone residents Amber Turcotte, 25, and Casey Clayton, 37, were driving south on Route 1A in a 2012 Chevy Impala around 10 a.m. when the driver of the vehicle, whom Cummings did not specify, drove into the dirt shoulder.

The driver overcorrected when returning to the road and crossed into the northbound lane, striking a 2023 Chevy Trailblazer driven by Carrie Smith-Gagne, 60, of Limestone, Cummings said. 

Smith-Gagne died at the scene. Pierre Gagne, 72, a passenger in the Trailblazer, also of Limestone, was taken to Cary Medical Center in Caribou with life-threatening injuries.

Smith-Gagne and Gagne were both wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

Turcotte and Clayton were ejected from their vehicle in the crash, Cummings said. Turcotte was taken to A.R. Gould Hospital in Presque Isle and Clayton to Cary Medical Center, both with life-threatening injuries.  

Fort Fairfield Police Sgt. Jesse Cormier is investigating the crash.

Several agencies assisted, including Fort Fairfield Fire and Rescue, Presque Isle Fire and Rescue, Caribou Fire and Ambulance, a Presque Isle Police Department crash reconstructionist, U.S. Border Patrol and Maine State Police.