MEXICO — The local woman killed in a three-vehicle crash on Route 2 Wednesday was identified by police Thursday as Rita Burke, 94.
According to Police Chief Roy Hodsdon, James Burke, 69, of South Paris was driving east with Rita Burke in a 2007 Toyota car that stopped to make a left turn.
A 2006 Toyota minivan driven by Melina Tang, 49, of Mexico and carrying two family members struck Burke’s car from behind, pushing it into the path of a westbound 2012 Freightliner tractor-trailer truck operated by Robert Storer, 49, of Chesterville, Hodsdon said.
Rita Burke was pronounced dead at 11:29 a.m., he said, while James Burke was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Storer and Tang were also treated at the scene.
According to Hodsdon, Tang’s family members were taken to the Rumford Hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening.
“Due to the language barrier that exists between the (Tang) family members and us, we were unable to confirm the names of the family members, but we’re working on it,” Hodsdon said.
The case remains under investigation, Hodsdon said, as officials prepare to perform autopsies on the van and the passenger car.
Maine State Police and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office are doing accident reconstructions.
MORE COVERAGE: Mexico resident killed in Route 2 crash
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