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By DOUG HARLOW
Staff Writer 12/20/2007

Seven people, five of them Messalonskee High School students, were injured in a two-car crash that closed KMD for about 45 minutes.

Police at the time said excessive speed appeared to be a factor in the crash and that a criminal charge against the driver of the Honda could be forthcoming. As of Wednesday no charges had been brought.

"It's come to our attention that there may have been another vehicle and that is under investigation," Oakland Police Capt. Rick Stubbert said. "Additional charges could come."

He said Officer Steve Corbett is conducting the investigation.

"We know who to talk to, we just have to do all the interviews," Stubbert said. "It's all scheduled; we'll finish it up tomorrow."

Police are not naming the 17-year-old driver of the Honda because he is a juvenile who is possibly facing criminal charges.

Passengers in the Honda were: Mitchell Wight, 18, of Belgrade; Nicholas Workman, 17, of Oakland; Daniel Witham, 17, of Smithfield; and Benjamin Pooler, 17, of Belgrade.

Stubbert said Pooler and Wight were taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The windshield of the Honda was blown into the car by the force of the collision, the roof bent by the impact. Both cars had extensive front-end damage.

The Honda reportedly struck a white 2005 Ford Taurus, driven by Maureen Blodgett, 57, of Benton. She and her husband, Terry Blodgett, also 57, were taken to a hospital by Delta Ambulance.

Four of the injured were taken to Waterville hospitals in ambulances. Three others were taken to the hospital by their parents, according to Oakland firefighters at the scene.

"Nobody was seriously injured," Stubbert said.

Stubbert said five high school students were in the Honda Civic heading toward Waterville when the driver apparently lost control on sand or gravel left over from Sunday's snowstorm.

"The black vehicle was traveling toward Waterville at a high rate of speed and he lost control of the vehicle, did a 360 and spun into the oncoming lane, where it made contact with the white vehicle -- they hit head-on," Stubbert said. "The driver said he overcompensated and went into a spin after hitting some loose gravel."

Blodgett's car was traveling in the other direction, toward Oakland, according to Stubbert.

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