RUMFORD — A Rumford man escaped serious injury late Wednesday afternoon when his car collided with an island of snow and a utility pole at the intersection of Routes 2 and 232 at Rumford Point, police said.

Scott A. Mills, 49, complained of shoulder pain and was examined inside a Med-Care Ambulance at the scene, but declined to be taken to a hospital, Rumford police Sgt. Doug Maifeld said.

The accident occurred at about 4:36 p.m. Maifeld said Mills told him that he recently had been released from Rumford Hospital, where he had been a patient.

The sergeant said Mills was driving a maroon 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse west on Route 2 when he fell asleep.

According to evidence at the scene and Maifeld, the car veered across the centerline in the 25 mph zone and collided with a traffic island of crusty, plowed snow. The car continued up the mound of snow and collided head-on with an old utility pole, narrowly missing two other utility poles.

Rumford firefighters directed traffic around the scene, taking over for  two passers-by who stopped to direct traffic.

Traffic on Route 2 was reduced to one lane as the car was towed. Rumford police do not provide damage estimates.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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