Preston,MD : Head-on crash leaves Maryland woman dead, Potsdam woman critical on August, Saturday 26th 2017
A Maryland woman is dead and a Potsdam woman is hospitalized in critical condition following a head-on crash Saturday afternoon on Route 11, state police said.
State police are continuing to investigate the collision that took place on a busy stretch of Route 11 between Canton and Potsdam. Traffic was heavy Saturday afternoon with college students arriving for the semester.
Samantha L. Allen, 20, of Hurlock, Md. was traveling north on Route 11 at 2:21 p.m. when the 2015 Hyundai she was driving was struck head-on in front of Steve’s RV Center Inc., 7364 Route 11, according to State Police Investigator Theodore J. Levison.
Mr. Levision said Miss Allen was employed at SUNY Plattsburgh through an internship program. He spoke with her family members on Saturday following the fatal collision.
The other driver, Karen Lemanquais, 60, village of Potsdam, was traveling south toward Canton in 2007 Jeep when she attempted to pass an uninvolved vehicle, Mr. Levison said.
She struck Miss Allen’s vehicle head-on, he said.
Mrs. Lemanquais was ejected from her vehicle which ended up in an embankment on the east shoulder of the road, he said.
Miss Allen’s vehicle overturned and also to rest on the east shoulder, Mr. Levison said.
County Coroner June Wood pronounced Miss Allen dead at the scene at 5:20 p.m.
Mr. Levison said Miss Allen was wearing her seat belt at the time of the collision. The Jaws of Life were used to remove her from the vehicle. Her body was transported to Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Potsdam, where an autopsy is scheduled to be performed Monday.
Mrs. Lemanquais was transported to CPH by the Potsdam Rescue Squad and then taken by helicopter to Vermont Medical Center in Burlington where she is in critical condition, police said.
“We don’t believe she was wearing her seat belt based on the fact that she was ejected from the vehicle,” Mr. Levison said.
Members of the state police accident reconstruction team were on the scene and continue to investigate the cause of the collision, he said.
Both cars were demolished. Traffic was detoured off Route 11 until 8:58 p.m.
Besides state police, members of the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and Potsdam Village Police responded to the scene. Employees from the state Department of Transportation provided traffic assistance.
Source :
Head-on crash leaves Maryland woman dead, Potsdam woman critical