Fort man dies in crash
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
FATAL CRASH — An accident Monday on the Conant Road in Presque Isle resulted in the death of Roman Yoder, of Fort Fairfield, and critically injured a second man, David Hayes, of Fort Fairfield. Hayes was driving his Ford Escape when he stopped behind a snow plow involved in an accident. The Ford was subsequently struck from behind by a loaded log truck, crushing the smaller vehicle between the two larger trucks.
PRESQUE ISLE — Blizzard-like conditions that resulted in high winds and white-out conditions Monday were blamed for an accident that killed a Fort Fairfield man and critically injured another man from the same town.
The Presque Isle Police Department responded to several weather-related accidents, including the fatal four-vehicle crash on the Conant Road.
“On Feb. 18 around 10:40 a.m., Officers Brian McQuarrie and Cole Chandler responded to the Conant Road for a crash involving a city of Presque Isle plow truck and a log truck. Once on the scene, officers found four vehicles were involved,” said Chief Matt Irwin, PIPD.
According to Irwin, Philip Bird, 60, of Fort Fairfield, was traveling west on the Conant Road in a 2008 Chevrolet pickup when he struck head-on with a 2006 International plow truck owned by the city of Presque Isle, which was traveling east. The plow truck was being driven by Wayne Howlett, 40, of Mapleton.
“Both Bird and Howlett stopped. David Hayes, 63, of Fort Fairfield, was driving east in a 2002 Ford Escape, with passenger Roman Yoder, 22, of Fort Fairfield. Hayes stopped behind the plow truck,” said Irwin.
Another vehicle came upon the scene and, due to poor road conditions and visibility, was unable to stop, pushing Hayes’s vehicle into the plow truck.
“A 2006 Western Star hauling a loaded log trailer was traveling east, driven by Leigh Gordon, 56, of Ashland. Gordon’s log truck struck Hayes’s vehicle from behind, pushing it into the plow truck and trapping both Hayes and Yoder in the Ford. Both Hayes and Yoder had to be extricated,” Irwin said.
Hayes was transported to The Aroostook Medical Center by Crown Ambulance and was later flown to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor with life-threatening injuries. Yoder was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mike Cowett’s Towing Service was called to tow the Hayes vehicle.
“In all the years I’ve run a towing business, this is the worst accident I’ve seen. It’s (Hayes vehicle) hardly recognizable as a vehicle,” said Mike Cowett, owner of the towing company.
The crash remains under investigation, with officials indicating white-out conditions contributed to the crash. The Conant Road was closed for several hours as a result of the accident.
An official with Eastern Maine Medical Center said Hayes’s was listed in critical condition as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Primary investigators were McQuarrie and Chandler, of the PIPD, who were assisted at the scene by Irwin, Deputy Chief Laurie Kelly and Officer Kevin Reed. Also assisting were: the Presque Isle Fire Department, Presque Isle Public Works Department, Crown Ambulance, Maine State Police, Fort Fairfield Police Department and Department of Environmental Protection.
