Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office posted the following press release, titled “Fatal motor vehicle accident,” on its Facebook page Friday evening:

Jan. 6 at 12:42 p.m., Sagadahoc County Regional Communications Center received multiple 911 calls of a crash on U.S. Route 1 in Woolwich at the north end of Sagadahoc Bridge. The crash reportedly was a head-on collision.

A 2021 Subaru Legacy driven by Robert A. Payzant Jr., 55, of Lewiston was traveling south on U.S. Route 1. According to witnesses, the Subaru veered across the roadway and into the path of a 2017 Ford F150 pickup truck owned and operated by Joseph Pickul, 69, of Southport. The pickup was towing a horse trailer; however, there were no animals in the trailer. Neither vehicle had passengers.

Payzant died at the scene. Woolwich EMS transported Pickul to Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

The investigation is being conducted by Deputy David Brown. The focus is to determine what may have caused the vehicle to cross into the oncoming lane. Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors.

Traffic along that section of U.S. Route 1 was reduced to one lane in each direction, resulting in a back-up in both directions. Traffic movement was fully restored by 3:30 p.m. when Bath Iron Works’ dayshift ends.

The accident is being reconstructed by Detective Brian Carlton with help from Brunswick Police Department. Also helping at the scene was Woolwich Fire Department.