A three-vehicle accident on a snow-covered highway in Monticello sent five people to the hospital early Sunday evening, one in serious condition.

The crash occurred around at around  4 p.m. on Route 1 near the junction of Hill Siding Road, just south of the Blue Moose Restaurant.

According to Chief Deputy Darrell Crandall of the Aroostook County Sheriff's Department, 69-year-old Gary Cullins of Monticello was traveling north on Route 1 behind a plow truck when he drifted across the center of the road and struck a southbound tractor trailer driven by 59-year-old Philip Beaupre of St. Leonard, New Brunswick.

Cullins’ 2000 GMC pickup went off the road and became lodged in a snow bank. The tractor trailer crossed the center line and struck a 2005 Dodge Neon operated by 20-year-old Brianna Berry of Van Buren.

Berry suffered serious injuries and was taken to Houlton Regional Hospital.  She was  then transferred to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where she remains. Her passengers, 36-year-old Ariel Rosado and a three-month-old child were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

Mr. Beaupre was also transported to Houlton Regional Hospital with minor injuries.

Crandall said the Dodge Neon and the Freightliner were destroyed in the accident. Mr. Cullins’ GMC sustained $5,000 or more in damages.

Monticello and Bridgewater Fire Departments, Houlton Fire and Ambulance, Crown Ambulance, Aroostook County Sheriff's Office, Maine State Police and the Border Patrol all responded to Sunday's crash.

Police said reduced visibility during Sunday's snowstorm was a factor in the accident.

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