Numerous car crashes were reported around central Maine on Monday afternoon as rain fell and formed an icy slush on the roadways.

One of the most serious crashes was a two-car collision at 4 p.m. on Granite Hill Road in Manchester, in which one driver had to be extricated and another allegedly fled the scene, according to police.

Police didn’t immediately identify the people involved in that crash, in which a red Pontiac struck a BMW sport utility vehicle head-on. The collision happened near the Hallowell city line and closed Granite Hill Road. Traffic was diverted onto Kerns Hill Road.

The driver of the Pontiac allegedly left the scene in another vehicle soon after the crash, said Sgt. Michael Dutil of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.

The driver of the BMW had his leg pinned by the wheel well, and it took firefighters using an extrication tool about an hour to free him from the wreck.

More details weren’t immediately available about either men, including what injuries either may have suffered. The driver of the SUV was taken to a local hospital, Dutil said.

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A number of other crashes happened on Monday afternoon. Some were minor, as cars slid off the highways and back roads during the evening commute.

In Fayette, a car slid off Main Street into a body of water around 5:15 p.m, but no one was injured or trapped in the accident, according to radio reports.

Staff photographer Andy Molloy contributed to this report.

Charles Eichacker — 621-5642

ceichacker@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @ceichacker


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