A Wiscasset woman and other drivers and passengers were hurt and some were taken to hospitals Friday after a pair of three-vehicle accidents on Route 1 in Woolwich Friday.

At 12:24 p.m., Sagadahoc County Communications received a report of the first accident. Responding deputies located the collision involving a tractor-trailer and two other vehicles at the Monstweag Road intersection. The 2016 tractor-trailer was traveling south on Route 1 when it ran into the back of a 2015 Ford Focus stopped waiting to turn left turn onto Montsweag Road. The tractor-trailer pushed the Focus into the oncoming northbound lane where it was struck by a 2015 Toyota SUV. U.S. Route 1 was closed for about an hour while traffic was diverted to other routes. The 2016 Volvo tractor-trailer, registered in Illinois and leased by Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. of Mandota, Illinois, was operated by Raymond Lemon, 43, from Ware, Massachusetts. Lemon was not hurt. The truck sustained front end damage. The 2015 Ford Focus was owned and operated by Megan Horne, 26, of Richmond. She suffered possible back and neck injuries and was transported directly to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening. The vehicle was totaled. The 2015 Toyota SUV was owned and operated by Betty J. Yock, 73, of Wiscasset. Yock sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick where she was treated and released. A 1-year-old boy in the vehicle was not injured. The vehicle had significant front end damage.

Another accident occurred as traffic had quickly backed up. A northbound 1990 Dodge pickup truck was attempting to turn around and pulled directly in front of a 2016 Mercury Mariner. The pickup truck was pushed into a 2017 Ford Focus. This accident took place near the north end of Weston Road, about one third of a mile from the first crash. The pickup's owner and operator, Forest Sidelinger, 51, of Jefferson, was not injured. Wife Melissa Sidelinger, 55, a passenger, suffered minor injuries but was not transported. The vehicle sustained heavy front end damage. The Mariner was owned and operated by Robert Miller, 34, of Bath. He and his passenger, Chaya Mattocks, 29, of Topsham were transported to Mid Coast Hospital, both with head and neck injuries, and later released. The vehicle sustained heavy front end damage. The 2017 Ford Focus, a rental car from Connecticut, was operated by Sarah Stewart, 72, of Oakland, California. Neither she nor her passenger, Barbara Anne Stefl of Oceanside, California, was hurt. The vehicle sustained minor damage.

According to Sheriff Joel Merry, “With the arrival of summer comes increased traffic. It is vitally important that drivers pay close attention to the road and leave ample space between their vehicle and those in front of them. Always expect the unexpected. Unfortunately, all too often drivers become impatient and can make dangerous decisions. We are thankful there were no serious injuries from today’s mishaps.”

The accidents were investigated by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Maine State Police and the Bath Police Department. Woolwich Fire Department and EMS assisted at the scene, as did Northeast Ambulance Service. Traffic in both directions resumed by 2 p.m.

Original post: A motor vehicle accident has just occurred on Route 1 near the Montsweag restaurant in Woolwich, Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Wiscasset Police Department is directing traffic, Lincoln County Communications confirmed.

Shortly after the accident, traffic was backed up southbound near Wiscasset Village Antiques in Wiscasset and northbound on the Sagadahoc Bridge connecting Woolwich and Bath.