RUMFORD — A Rumford man was killed late Friday afternoon when his tan sport-utility vehicle collided with a utility pole on River Street, along a one-way portion of the road near the police station, police said.
William “Bizz” Carignan, 72, of Andover Road, was pronounced deceased at 5:28 p.m. at Rumford Hospital, investigating Sgt. Douglas Maifeld said early Friday evening.
“The cause of death right now is blunt trauma, but we haven’t ruled out a medical issue he may have had,” Maifeld said. “The investigation is continuing.”
The accident happened at 4:46 p.m. Maifeld said Carignan had just been at the Elks Lodge at 60 River St. just down from where the crash happened. Carignan was driving his brown 2002 Chevy Trailblazer north up River Street toward Hartford Street.
“A couple of people heard and/or witnessed it,” he said. “According to witnesses, they heard him accelerate, and then he hit the telephone pole.”
The accident happened beside the River Street sign of the former Fortune Island Restaurant, which fronts Congress Street. The pole was broken into pieces and wires fell to the street, but a second utility pole beside the first one remained standing.
First responders with the Rumford Fire Department and two Med-Care Ambulance crews performed CPR on Carignan for about 30 minutes before he was loaded into an ambulance at about 5:15 p.m. and taken to Rumford Hospital.
Firefighters shut down River Street to traffic at Hartford Street and just north of Exchange Street for a little more than 60 minutes. Maifeld then strung yellow caution tape around the scene.
Maifeld was assisted by Rumford police Cpls. Lawrence Winson and Donald Miller. A tow truck from Adley’s removed the totaled SUV.
According to Maifeld, the on-call district attorney was called to join the investigation.
Police said it appeared Carignan was not wearing his seat belt.
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