A Gardiner man was seriously injured Sunday night when the motorcycle he was riding ran into another driven by his wife.

Kenneth Black, 50, was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston with what appeared to be a serious head injury, Lt. Rand Maker of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

A CMMC spokeswoman said information on Black’s condition is being withheld at the family’s request.

Black’s wife, 47-year-old Laurie Black, had head and knee pain but declined to take an ambulance to the hospital, Maker said.

The crash occurred just before 7:30 p.m. Sunday as the Blacks drove separate motorcycles south on Mills Road in Whitefield. The couple both slowed to avoid a deer in the road that apparently had been hit by another vehicle, Maker said. The injured animal moved into the couple’s path as they tried to drive around it.

“Mrs. Black was able to control her motorcycle, but Mr. Black lost control of his motorcycle, striking both the deer and the motorcycle being operated by his wife,” Maker said.

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Neither of the Blacks was wearing a helmet, Maker said.

Laurie Black’s blood will be tested for drugs and alcohol due to the seriousness of Kenneth Black’s injuries, Maker said, but substances are not believed to have been a contributing factor to the crash.

Mills Road was closed for about two hours while medics tended to the Blacks and police investigated.

Craig Crosby — 621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @CraigCrosby4


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