Family and friends were trying to come to terms Saturday with the deaths of two Oxford County teenagers in a car crash Friday night, a tragedy that police say was attributable partly to alcohol and text messaging.

Two other people were hurt in the single-car crash, which occurred shortly after 12:15 a.m. Saturday on Route 219 in West Paris. All four were from the area.

Those killed include Logan Dam, 19, of Norway, and Rebecca Mason, 16, of West Paris, both passengers in a Subaru sedan driven by Kristina Lowe, 18, of West Paris.

Lowe was in critical condition at Maine Medical Center in Portland. A third passenger, Jacob Skaff, 22, of South Paris, was being treated for severe injuries at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway.

Maine State Police Trooper Tom Welch said Lowe was driving east on Route 219 when her car left the road, hit a driveway, vaulted into the air and crashed into some trees. Welch said it is not clear whether the four were wearing seat belts.

Alcohol and text messaging played a role in the crash, which is still under investigation, according to Welch.

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It appeared that Lowe had a broken back and Skaff had suffered deep lacerations, said the state trooper.

As Welch spoke, the cellphones taken from the accident victims rang constantly in the background.

Jerrold Mason, father of Rebecca Mason, said he was not sure where his daughter was headed at the time of the crash. He said his daughter had hundreds of friends, but he had never met Lowe.

He described his daughter as bubbly and popular, an outdoors enthusiast who liked hunting and athletic activities. She was a sophomore at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris, where she played field hockey, track and other sports, her father said.

“She loved pretty much any type of animal. She was awesome,” Mason said.


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