FAYETTE — A Livermore woman, who died Monday morning after a propane truck struck and crushed her car on Route 17, is being remembered as a devoted wife and mother and dedicated school board member.
Diane Gould, 45, was extricated from her Subaru but died while being taken to a hospital, Maj. Ryan Reardon of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The driver of the Downeast Energy truck, Alan Cheney, 52, was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries to his shoulder area, Reardon said.
“The road conditions and speed appear to be a factor in this case,” Reardon said. “The propane truck lost control on a sharp, downhill curve and struck the vehicle driven by Gould, which was in the opposite lane.” The impact caused the truck to flip over and crush the car, he said.
“There was a significant amount of ice on the roadway prior to the area being sanded shortly after the crash,” he said.
Until the investigation is complete, it is unknown if there will be any charges, Reardon said.
The accident occurred about 8 a.m. about a half-mile west of Fayette Central School.
Firefighters from several departments responded and had residents leave a nearby home because of a propane leak. Another container truck from Downeast Energy pumped the propane from the overturned tanker.
The road remained closed and crews righted the truck and removed Gould’s car, Reardon said Monday afternoon.
Maine State Police are assisting with the commercial vehicle inspection and reconstruction of the accident. Blood tests on both drivers will be done, which is usual procedure, but neither driver is suspected of operating under the influence, the release said.
Gould, a Regional School Unit 73 director, a wife and the mother of three sons, was being mourned by the community.
Gould put family first, was very community oriented and always had a positive attitude, her friend and colleague, school board Chairwoman Denise Rodzen of Livermore Falls, said.
Gould had been a school director since July 1, 2011. The district serves Livermore, Jay and Livermore Falls. She previously served as a director of RSU 36 before it consolidated with the Jay School Department.
Gould often added her maiden name of Castonguay to her last name to make it Castonguay-Gould.
She was very proud of her heritage, Rodzen said.
Gould grew up in Livermore and graduated from Livermore Falls High School. She also studied at the University of Southern Maine, according to her website.
She and her husband, William “Tom” Gould, have three sons. The oldest is a freshman at St. Dominic Academy in Auburn, Rodzen said.
Rodzen said she saw Diane Gould on Sunday when she went to Yarmouth at Rodzen’s request to take photos of the Department of Maine Ladies Auxiliary.
She had been taking photography lessons from Ken Landry of Livermore. She took a shine to it, Rodzen said.
The biggest thing she’ll be remembered for is being very family-oriented, she said.
“Her family was top priority. She loved her family. She volunteered at the (Livermore Elementary School) library,” Rodzen said. “She was on one of the toughest RSU 73 board committees and that is negotiations. She took negotiations like a trooper. She always had a positive attitude.”
She was also a very giving person.
“I just know she would give the shirt off her back to help anybody,” Rodzen said. “It is a devastating loss for our school board and our community and our hearts go out to Tom and her boys and her entire family.”
Diane was a kind, caring and thoughtful school board member who loved her family, friends and community, RSU 73 Superintendent Kenneth Healey said.
“Her bright smile and ready sense of humor will be missed,” he said.
“The passing of Diane is so very sad,” Ken Landry, a RSU 73 teacher, said.
She was a participant in his photography class last year and attended some this year.
“She was an excellent photographer. She had a thirst for knowledge and was always looking to improve her skills,” he said. “She had a keen eye for photography. She took beautiful sunrise photos as she was an early riser. She adored her family and often took pictures of them to share with us on Facebook.”
Gould attended basketball games and learned how to get excellent high-speed shots, Landry said.
She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her, he said.
“A great loss to our Spruce Mountain (School District) family,” he said.
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