A woman died Tuesday afternoon shortly after the Ford Explorer she was driving on U.S. Route 202 in Manchester crossed the centerline and struck a Ford F-250 pickup truck head-on, according to Kennebec County Sheriff Ryan Reardon.

Three passengers who were involved in the accident were taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center for treatment. Their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, Reardon said.

The accident was reported around 1:10 p.m. It occurred close to the intersection with Pelton Hill Road.

Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Maine State Police are investigating the cause of the accident, Reardon said.

The deceased driver was identified by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office as Courtlyn M. Donato, 22, of Mount Vernon.

According to a release from the sheriff’s department, “Fire Department personnel needed to use extraction tools to remove the driver of the Ford explorer.” Donato was then taken to MaineGeneral with severe injuries, but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving

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The release listed the driver of the Ford truck as Wayne Bartlett Jr., 36, of St. Albans; his passenger was Robert A. Folsom, 55, of Cambridge. The passenger of Donato’s Explorer was Steven Sirois, 23, of Manchester.

U.S. Route 202 was closed for about two hours during the investigation, Reardon said. Several area fire departments and ambulance crews went to the accident scene. A rescue helicopter was requested initially to provide transportation for the victims, but it was called off.

Criminal charges are unlikely to be filed in connection with the accident, Reardon said. The release from the sheriff’s department said drugs and alchohol were not believed to be factors in the crash.

Both vehicles sustained considerable front-end damage in the accident, Reardon said.

The crash is still under investigation.


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