SHAPLEIGH — Paul Cardinal still gets the shakes when he thinks about what happened on Newfield Road Sunday evening.
A fire truck that had hit a soft shoulder was careening back and forth and Cardinal, who was bringing up the rear in a group of four motorcyclists, had to scramble to get out of the way.
He said he saw the fire truck slide down a hill sideways on two wheels.
“Her bumper went by two feet from me,” said Cardinal.
As Cardinal watched in horror as the fire truck fishtailed and narrowly missed the second motorcyclist in the group, he remembers thinking of what he should do to get out of the way.
“My original instinct was to swing to the left and hit the middle of the road,” he said. “But a little voice said go right.”
He obeyed that little voice and hit the soft shoulder. His 2008 Honda Gold Wing 12800 GL plowed sand ”“ so much so that the bike stopped perfectly upright, and stayed that way, without the need of a kickstand.
“I saw that truck go airborne, flip over and crash,” said Cardinal. “I got off the bike and went to help the lady. She said, ”˜Get me out.’ I held her hand and told her help was on the way.”
In the meantime, the other bikers went ahead of and behind the crash scene to stop any oncoming traffic.
Early police reports mentioned that the group of motorcyclists figured in Sunday’s accident. They were eager to describe the incident more fully.
Cardinal, of Portsmouth, N.H., and three other motorcyclists, including the lead rider, Bob Chevalier of Sanford, were returning from a day-long ride that left Dover, N.H. and proceeded to Mount Washington. The group of riders stopped for a meal in Cornish and were making their way south towards Alfred on Newfield Road when Chevalier saw the northbound fire truck hit the soft shoulder.
Chevalier, director of Chapter A of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, sprang into action.
“We saw the fire truck’s right tire go into the dirt and she started to plow sand,” said Chevalier. “I radioed to my other three bikers to watch it, there was a truck out of control. “
Chevalier explained that the four motorcycles ride in a staggered formation and all were on their own side of the road during the incident. Motorcycles ride staggered to avoid the oil that builds up in the center of the lane, he explained, and staggered riding is recommended by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. It provides better visibility and motorcyclists in a staggered formation are no closer to the yellow line than a car would be, he said.
“She came out of the ditch and veered across the yellow line,” said Chevalier.
He said the fire truck just missed the bikers, and at one point, he thought the worst had happened.
“I didn’t see the last two bikes and thought I’d lost my two best friends,” said Chevalier.
The Shapleigh fire truck, a water tanker, was driven by Capt. Natasha Kinney, a member of the department for more than five years. Kinney is also a captain with Lebanon Rescue. She was returning from a call on the Ross Corner Road in Waterboro and headed north on Newfield Road, intending to re-fuel the tanker before returning to quarters at Shapleigh Fire Station.
But she never made it and the veteran firefighter is now recovering at home from her injuries after the truck rolled over twice.
Kinney was pinned inside and had to be extricated from the tanker.
Chevalier’s wife, Sheila, has a medical background and held Kinney’s head while awaiting rescue workers.
“She was screaming, ”˜Help me.’ My wife calmed her down and took basic vital signs,” said Chevalier.
Chevalier said the cab of the fire truck was so compacted by the impact, his wife never saw Kinney’s face as she stayed with her while rescue personnel worked to cut away the cab and free the firefighter.
Cardinal said his girlfriend, who rode with him, also helped keep Kinney calm.
A LifeFlight helicopter was called and it flew Kinney to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Her injuries were not as severe as originally believed and after treatment, she was released. A relative who was staying with her Thursday said Kinney was sleeping. She did not return a call seeking comment.
Maine State Police Lt. Louis Nyitray said the agency’s commercial vehicle enforcement unit has completed its examination of the fire truck and it appears there was nothing mechanically wrong with the vehicle. The tanker truck was carrying 1,800 gallons of water when the crash took place, Romano said. State police hope to determine the speed of the truck at the time of the accident.
Chevalier, a motorcyclist for 30 years, said Kinney never gave up trying to stay in her lane.
“She didn’t panic or freeze,” he said.
The group of four motorcyclists knew what steps to take because of a simulated crash training exercise they’d taken in Gorham, N.H. two weeks previously. What they didn’t know is that they’d need that training so quickly after they’d taken it.
Cardinal said he was in shock after the crash and still has a hard time sleeping.
One thing he has done, however, is get back on the bike and ride.
And he recalls that little voice in his head that told him to veer right, instead of left.
“It wasn’t me guiding (the motorcycle),” Cardinal said, pointing out there was a ditch beside him and a tree in front of him. “It was an angel.”
— Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
