ROCKPORT – Just as dusk settled into Saturday evening, Jan. 20, a woman driving a Jeep careened over four-foot tall chain link fence and was dangling precipitously over the edge of Union Street quarry. One sturdy ash tree protected her from smashing into icy water.

In the car with her was another woman and a young girl.

The driver, Maureen Legage, 57, of Lincolnville, was injured and could not move, but the woman and the girl were able to escape.

Rockport firefighters, Camden Exxon, Rockport and Camden police, and two North East Mobile Health Services ambulances quickly arrived. And, Appleton Fire Chief (and Rockland firefighter) Prent Marriner, who happened to be working next door to the crash scene, heard the call on the scanner and was among the first to respond.

Legage had apparently crossed the intersection of Quarry Hill Road and Union Street, when the 2005 Jeep left the roadway, went into a ditch, over the fence and down the embankment to the quarry, said Rockport Police Sgt. James Moore.

With the vehicle teetering on the edge of the quarry and light fading, firefighters immediately cut the chainlink fence down, and tied a cable from a fire engine to the Jeep. When Steve Laite arrived with his wrecker, two more cables were run to the vehicle, securing it in place so that EMTs could provide medical assistance to Legage. 

Meanwhile, firefighters grabbed extrication tools to remove doors and the back of the Jeep.

“Once we had our cables, we cut back the hatch and took the passenger side out,” said Rockport Fire Chief Jason Peasley. “Then, we pulled her out that side.”

Rescuers worked fast yet methodically to save the woman, and when they carefully placed her on a board and transported her to a waiting ambulance, smiles of relief broke out. They had gotten her to safety.

The night was cold, as temperatures hovered around 16 degrees Fahrenheit under snow flurries. Firefighters and police remained on scene to help Laite winch the Jeep back from edge of the quarry and load it onto a trailer before heading back to the station.

Those on scene included firefighters Darren Robbins, Neal and Royan Bartley, Mike Smith, Mike Root, Lt. Bill Lane, Assistant Fire Chief John Wickenden, Deputy Fire Chief Todd Philbrook, Lt. Chief Clay Tolman, Charlie Knight, Ed Werthley and Chief Peasley. 

The crash remains under investigation by Officer Celjeta Bixhaku of Rockport Police Dept. Officer Bixhaku was assisted at the scene by Camden Officer Scott Entwistle.

Maureen Legage was transported to Pen Bay Medical Center by North East Mobile Heath Services with non-life threatening injuries. 

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657