One dead, one critical after snowmobile crash

POLAND — A snowmobile crash on Middle Range Pond in Poland last Thursday left one dead and another in critical condition.

Robert Bissonette, 35, of Auburn, died on Friday from injuries sustained in a head-on collision with Jared Murphy, 20, of Poland.

Bissonette and Murphy, along with two others, left a local restaurant together around 7 p.m. on Thursday. At some point in the next 40 minutes, Bissonette became separated from the rest of the group. The crash occurred after the other three, who had passed onto Upper Range Pond ahead of Bissonette, turned around to look for him.

The two were taken by ambulance to a location at the corner of Routes 26 and 122 in Poland, where they were transported to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston via LifeFlight helicopter.

The Maine Warden Service is currently investigating to determine what led to the crash.  According to a Warden who responded out of Gray, there are a couple of factors that initially seem to have played a part.

First, at least one of the snowmobiles appeared to have been speeding. And second, conditions were less than ideal. In the weeks since the last storm, snow has become packed down into bumpy ice that makes steering more difficult than usual.

Murphy was initially listed by CMCC as being in critical condition, but was upgraded to serious condition the following day. As of Monday, however, a spokesman from CMMC reported that he was once again listed in critical condition.