VIENNA — A Jay woman was killed Thursday morning when the car she was a passenger in slid off a snow-covered road and crashed into a tree, police said.
The woman, Patricia Tardif, 74, was a passenger in a 2009 Suzuki sedan driven by her husband, Alfred Tardif, 51.
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The car was traveling south on Town House Road about 11:30 a.m. when it went off the road into a ditch and struck a tree. Snow had started falling in central Maine about an hour earlier.
Maine State Trooper Diane Perkins-Vance, who investigated the crash, said the car was driving too fast for the slippery road conditions as it rounded a curve. The crash was reported at 11:38 a.m.
Perkins-Vance said both airbags deployed and both Tardifs were wearing seatbelts.
Alfred Tardif was taken by NorthStar Ambulance to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening, Perkins-Vance said.
The deadly car crash in Vienna appeared to be the worst accident of the day. No other car accidents involving serious injuries were reported as of early Thursday night, according to Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.
“There were dozens and dozens of slide-offs, particularly on the interstate — they were everywhere,” McCausland said about 5:30 p.m. Thursday. “It’s hard to believe that up until the 12th of January we had relatively dry pavement for most of the winter season so far. So, if you look at the calendar, it looks like drivers need to get back into their winter driving habits over the next few months. It looks like the snow is going to stick around for a while.”
The Vienna accident was the second fatal crash on the same section of the road within six months.
On Aug. 19, Scott Hubbard, 45, of Gardiner, was driving his motorcycle south when it went off the road and crashed. He was not wearing a helmet and was alone on the motorcycle, police said. He died two days later in a hospital.
WINTER DRIVING TIPS
Col. Robert Williams of the Maine State Police offers the following advice for driving in the winter:
* Driving conditions in Maine can change rapidly because of slick roads caused by snow, freezing rain and black ice, and motorists should adjust their speeds accordingly.
* Motorists should be prepared to slow down to confront winter driving challenges.
* Vehicles should be equipped with proper tires, windshield wipers, a shovel, a scraper, sand, extra clothing and a flashlight.
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