CORNVILLE — Speed and poor road conditions are being looked at as contributing factors in a fatal automobile accident that killed a local man and injured two others Sunday morning, police said.
Gregory Griffeth, 43, of Skowhegan was pronounced dead at the scene on Shadagee Road, which is also Maine State Route 43, according to Chief Deputy James Ross of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.
Griffeth was driving a 2000 GMC pickup truck and towing a utility trailer when his vehicle struck a 2018 Chevy Traverse operated by Sinan Deris, 23, of New York, just before 11 a.m.
The accident remained under investigation Sunday night, and it was unclear who was at fault, Ross said. He said preliminary indications are that road conditions and excessive speed may have been contributing factors.
Deris suffered possible broken bones in his legs and hand injuries. A passenger in the Traverse, Tunc Sarden, 20, of New York, reported chest pains from the seat belts, Ross said.
The impact of the crash was so severe it caused the truck bed of the pickup to separate from the frame and land in the ditch.
Sheriff’s deputies and the Cornville Fire Department, Madison Fire Department and Redington-Fairview EMS responded. Maine State Police also assisted with reconstruction of the accident.
Ross said blood alcohol tests will also be done on the drivers of the vehicles, as required by law. Upon completion of the investigation, the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office will review the information.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory Sunday for northern and central Maine, warning drivers of the possibility of freezing rain and ice accumulation.
“A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties,” the weather service wrote. “Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.”
hotThe Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, Cornville Fire Department, Madison Fire Department, Maine State Police and Redington-Fairview EMS responded to the scene of a fatal motor vehicle crash on Shadagee Road in Cornville on Sunday. Gregory Griffeth, of Cornville,
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