CAMDEN — There were no injuries in a crash on Route 1 near Spring Brook Hill in Camden Thursday afternoon, Sept. 26, although one pickup truck sustained enough damage to land behind a tow truck for a ride back into town.

According to Camden Police Officer Allen Weaver, the crash occurred as north-bound traffic slowed near the top of the hill at 339 Belfast Road (Route 1), just before the road descends into the gully.  Ryan O’Neill, 42, of Camden, was traveling north in a 2005 Dodge Ram pickup when a vehicle in front of him slowed to make a right-hand turn into a driveway, Weaver said.

That’s when a 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck, operated by Daniel Harrington, 28, of Washington, rear-ended the Dodge Ram. While the Dodge was undamaged, the damage to Harrington’s vehicle included a busted radiator, which leaked coolant onto the road. As a result, Camden’s fire department responded to clean that up.

Traffic was reduced to one lane along the highway for a short time as Steve Laite, owner of Camden Exxon, loaded up the truck and transported it to the garage in downtown Camden.

In other Camden public safety news

At noon, Sept. 26, Camden Fire Department responded to the Lord Camden Inn, on Main Street in downtown Camden, for a report of smoke on the third floor. The smoke had been produced by lint burning in a commercial dryer on the ground floor, off the hotel’s lobby.

Because the incident occurred in downtown Camden, neighboring fire departments of Hope, Lincolnville, Rockland and Rockport responded automatically, per the area’s mutual aid agreement. As soon as Camden firefighters sourced the smoke to lint burning in the control area of the dryer, the fire departments, other than Rockport, returned to their stations. A Rockport truck remained in downtown Camden for approximately 20 minutes at a nearby hydrant, just in case it was needed.

The lint fire had extinguished by itself; however, the smell of smoke traveled up the vent pipe and out of the roof, causing staff to detect the smoke on the third floor.

Camden firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to check the vents and dryers, determining the fire was out.

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.