WATERVILLE — A motorcyclist was in the critical care unit of a Lewiston Hospital with a head injury Tuesday night after being injured earlier in a head-on collision with a car on Grove Street in the city’s South End, according to police.

The accident, reported at 4:15 p.m., occurred at the entrance to New Dimensions Federal Credit Union across the road from Pine Grove Cemetery.

Police Sgt. Brian Gardiner said late Tuesday that Mark Coyne, 36, of Waterville, was driving a 1993 Harley-Davidson motorcycle west on Grove Street when the bike collided with a 1999 Subaru Legacy being driven by John Pierce, 63, of Winslow. The Subaru was traveling east and attempting to turn into the credit union lot at the time, according to Gardiner.

Coyne, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown about 20 feet into the roadway on impact, Gardiner said.

He suffered a head injury, was taken by Delta Ambulance to Inland Hospital, and from there was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Gardiner said.

A hospital spokeswoman said just after 9 p.m. that she had no immediate information on Coyne.

Advertisement

Pierce was not injured in the accident, nor was his back-seat passenger, Jacob Lacombe, 9. A passenger in the front seat, Morgan Lacombe, 11, was complaining that her knee hurt, he said.

At the scene, the motorcycle was lying on the pavement, crunched under the front of the car, and the bike’s frame was cracked at the top of the steering forks. Gardiner said the motorcycle was destroyed and the Subaru was damaged substantially.

Oakland police Sgt. David Savage reconstructed the accident, he said. Gardiner said no charges had been filed.

Coyne’s boots flew off on impact and he landed face-down in the road on Grove Street, according to Angela Spaulding, who said she came to his aid after the crash.

“Basically, all you saw was the bike and the front of the car,” said Spaulding, of Winslow. “The guy just flew about 50 feet, and he was not breathing when I first got there. There was no pulse and then he started gasping for air. I lifted his head a little bit, and he started breathing a little after that. I couldn’t believe it took his boots off. I just knew not to move him. I grabbed a towel from the car and lifted his head and talked to him. I kept telling him it was all right.”

Police blocked off part of Grove Street and redirected traffic while they and firefighters worked at the scene. Neighbors and people coming out of the credit union stopped to watch emergency officials work on Grove Street, where the speed limit is 25 mph.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.