LIVERMORE FALLS — Two people were injured Tuesday when a driver fell asleep at the wheel and the van he was driving went off the road, struck a mailbox and guy wire and ended up at the woods line at a property on Route 133.
Christopher Gray, 22, of Livermore Falls told police he was heading south on Route 133 toward Pike’s Corner Oasis and he fell asleep at about 12:20 p.m. He had gotten up early that day and a passenger, Richard Seilonen, 19, of Livermore Falls was already asleep when Gray dozed off, police officer Daniel Chabot said.
As soon as Gray dozed off, he hit the soft shoulder and woke up but it was too late, Chabot said.
The van knocked over the mailbox at 801 Park St. and ended up going across the front yard, going between a utility pole and a business sign for Three Crows Antiques. As the van passed between the two, it hit the pole’s guy wire, which flew up over the power lines, the officer said.
The van continued on, hitting the side of a second driveway at the residence and went up over it, finally coming to a stop about 10 feet off the road at the woods line, Chabot said. The 1999 Dodge passenger van landed on its wheels.
The two men received minor injuries but declined treatment from a NorthStar EMS ambulance crew, he said.
Power was knocked out to the area for about an hour.
The van’s airbags were deployed and both occupants were wearing seat belts, Chabot said.
The van was heavily damaged and had to be towed from the scene.
Gray was cited for a traffic violation of failure to display valid insurance, Chabot said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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