A Harmony man was killed Monday night in a head-on crash on U.S. Route 201 in Bingham.
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said Michael Handy, 46, was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident, which occurred 1.5 miles north of the state rest area on U.S. Route 201, was reported about 8 p.m. Monday.
Lancaster said early reports were of a multi-vehicle, head-on crash causing injury.
Deputies went to the scene, along with Upper Kennebec Valley Ambulance and the Bingham Fire Department. Two vehicles were involved: a red, four-door 2007 Toyota Camry and a silver, four-door 2014 Volkswagen Jetta.
Handy was driving the Toyota, Lancaster said. The driver of the Volkswagena — Jocelyn Jones, 31, of Bingham — was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extracted by Bingham firefighters, Lancaster said.
Jones was taken to Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Lancaster said the investigation revealed that the accident was a head-on crash in the center of the roadway. Neither driver was wearing a seat belt.
Cpl. Joseph Jackson and Deputy Brian Crater, of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, reconstructed and mapped the crash scene Tuesday. Deputy Isaac Wacome is the primary investigator for this crash.
“It is yet to be determined who is responsible for the crash,” Lancaster said in a news release Tuesday morning.
The investigation is ongoing. Assisting agencies were the Penobscot Sheriff’s Office with the notifications, Skowhegan police at Redington-Fairview Hospital, and the Solon Fire Department with traffic control.
Lancaster said late Tuesday that because of the extremely cold weather Monday night, reconstruction work could not be done until later Tuesday.
“The mapping equipment did not like the cold weather last night,” he said. “In the following days, interviews, vehicle inspections and scene evidence will be reviewed.”
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
dharlow@centralmaine.com
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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