CASTLE HILL, Maine — A Presque Isle man narrowly escaped disaster after crashing his car in Castle Hill on Monday morning when he escaped his vehicle shortly before it burst into flames.
Kimar Smith, 34, of Presque Isle was driving his 2013 Honda Civic on State Road at around 7:17 a.m. on Monday, when he lost control of the car while driving on slush-covered roads
Smith crashed into a ditch on the right side of the road, striking a culvert and then some trees in a head-on collision, the Maine State Police said. He escaped the vehicle shortly before it burst into flames — police said they believe the impact of the crash caused the vehicle’s gas tank to rupture and ignite.
The vehicle was engulfed in flames by the time the Mapleton-Castle Hill-Chapman Fire Department arrived at the scene, the Maine State Police said.
Smith was examined at the crash site by Presque Isle Fire and Ambulance but was uninjured.
Along with poor weather conditions, police said speed was a factor in the crash. Smith was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.
