A tow truck operator hooks up a car Thursday in the Kennebec River in Gardiner. The vehicle left River Avenue struck a utility pole and crossed railroad tracks before flipping over steep embankment into the river. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Buy this Photo
GARDINER — A West Gardiner woman was uninjured after her vehicle crashed into the Kennebec River on River Avenue.
Gardiner Police Sgt. Stacey Blair said the crash occurred Thursday in the area of 135 River Ave., where the road takes a slight bend. Blair said in his 20 years of experience he has seen some people crash into the telephone poles, but rarely sees anyone go in the water.
Blair said Jamie-Lynn Leclair, the driver of the 2009 Pontiac that crashed, reported a mechanical error causing her to oversteer around the turn. Her vehicle to cross the center line, hit a telephone pole and roll down a banking before settling in the river.
“The car rolled several times before it came to rest,” Blair said.
Gardiner Rescue officials had to deploy a boat to retrieve Leclair, who was unable to navigate the steep banking. Her vehicle was taken out of the river using two wreckers from AC Towing.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Blair said Leclair refused treatment from rescue officials and did not report any injuries. Blair also said no charges were pending related to the crash.
Officials from Central Maine Power were also on the scene to restore a power outage related to the crash.
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