Reporter’s note: This UPDATE, July 30, 2024, at 8:05 a.m., is the first bit of information that the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office has allowed to the public in regards to this incident.

SEARSMONT — A 24-year-old is dead and three others seriously injured following a single-vehicle crash on Appleton Ridge Road, Saturday, July 27, 2024.

At approximately 1:36 pm, Waldo County Regional Communications Center received notification of a single vehicle crash on Appleton Ridge Road in Searsmont.

Members of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police and several local area Fire Departments and EMS responded. According to the Sheriff’s Office, in a July 30, 8 a.m., news release, the initial investigation revealed that this crash involved a 2007 Nissan Versa, which exited the paved roadway and impacted two different large trees.

At the time of the crash, there were four occupants in the vehicle.

Dakota Deane, 24, of Appleton, died at the scene of the crash. The other three occupants all sustained serious injuries and were transported for medical care. Their identifications will be released at a later date.

Due to the location and severity of the crash, traffic was detoured for approximately four hours while the crash was investigated. A crash reconstruction and forensic mapping was completed by Maine State Police.

The crash remains under investigation and additional details will be released at a later date.

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Emergency crews work crash scene in Searsmont

July 27, 2024

SEARSMONT — A portion of Appleton Ridge Road in Searsmont has been closed to traffic Saturday afternoon, July 27, following a bad motor vehicle crash in the area of 82 Appleton Ridge Road.

The Pen Bay Pilot has not been allowed onto the scene, and has no information whatsoever, but spent more than an hour watching official vehicles come and go while a reconstruction team analyzed the scene

After 4:30 p.m., in attempting to have a word with a Waldo County Sheriff’s deputy on scene, it became obvious that officials still had a ways to go, not only processing the physical scene, but with processing the data they were collecting. Therefore, all information to the public is still being withheld.  

A resident of that section of Appleton Ridge Road heard the crash. He said that neighbors have been complaining to the Town for years about vehicles driving 60-70 miles per hour along the small, hilly, windy lane.

Appleton FD was called just prior to 2 p.m. for their jaws of life extrication equipment. Members of the Montville FD have been keeping the Route 131 entrance to Appleton Ridge closed to regular traffic. Liberty FD was also called to the scene.

Ambulances from Liberty, Searsmont and Belfast have been to the scene, though whether they transported any patients is unknown to the Pilot at this time, or if they had anything to do with the incident at all.

Morse and Son Sales and Salvage was allowed onto Appleton Ridge at 3:35 p.m., and a Belfast Police cruiser drove to the scene but immediately turned around and left.

Other unidentifiable vehicles with flashing lights were also waved in and out.

This article will be updated when actual information becomes available.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com