Collision Between Car and Propane Truck Kills Driver

A woman involved in a collision between a car and a propane truck Monday morning died on her way to the hospital. The DEP was called in and a nearby home was evacuated due to a leak in the truck.

Major Ryan Reardon with the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that the accident happened just after 8:00 Monday morning on Route 17 in Fayette, about a half mile from the Fayette Central School. The person reporting the incident told police a propane truck had overturned and struck another vehicle, trapping a woman inside.

Reardon says Diane Gould, age 45 of Livermore, was alive when rescue crews extricated her from the vehicle, however she died while on her way to the hospital. The driver of the truck, Alan Cheney, age 52, was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries to his shoulder. Cheney works for Downeast Energy.

Fire Personnel were called in because the truck was leaking propane. Another container truck from Downeast Energy was asked to respond to the scene and the remaining propane was pumped onto it. The road remained closed and crews worked to upright the truck and remove the other vehicle.

Police say road conditions and speed appear to have been factors in the crash. Cheney lost control of the truck on a sharp downhill curve and struck Gould's vehicle that was in the opposite lane. This caused the truck to flip over and crush the other vehicle. Reardon says there was a significant amount of ice on the roadway prior to the accident. The investigation is ongoing. Reardon says alcohol is not believed to have been a factor. The decision on whether any charges will be filed is pending on the outcome of the investigation.