keep my lil' buddy in your thoughts and prayers...

UNITY -- A Unity man died Wednesday after his vehicle was struck head on by a truck while turning into his driveway from U.S. Route 202.

Police say Kevin VonOesen's Subaru wagon had just been rear-ended by another vehicle that pushed the Subaru into the path of an eastbound truck loaded with cement blocks.

VonOesen, 40, died of injuries in the accident that occurred near the Troy and Unity town line near Bither Brook.

The primary investigator, Maine State Police Trooper Greg Vrooman, said it appeared that VonOesen had slowed and turned on his blinker to signal his intention to turn left into his driveway while driving west at about 10:50 a.m.

Vrooman said VonOesen's car was rear-ended by the vehicle of Merton MacDonald, 53, of Monroe. The collision sent VonOesen's car into the path of a tractor-trailer operated by Ray Morse of St. Albans, sending both vehicles off the road.

VonOesen was not wearing a seat belt, Vrooman said. The two other drivers had their belts on, according to Vrooman. He said Morse and MacDonald escaped injuries. He added that driver inattention by MacDonald may have contributed to the accident.

Police say VonOesen was conscious when rescuers arrived, but he had difficulty with breathing. His injuries were determined to be serious enough to merit summoning a LifeFlight helicopter for quick transportation to a hospital, according to Vrooman.

VonOesen was moved in an ambulance to a field near the Troy General Store a few miles away, but he died as rescuers were trying to save him.

The crash scene was littered with skid marks, broken glass and vehicle parts. The demolished wagon pointed down an embankment. The Gagne and Sons truck, driving from Belgrade and loaded with 58,000 pounds of cement blocks, careened into a field; the rig landed on its side and spilled the load of blocks.

Bill Gorneau of Gagne and Sons said the collision broke off the truck's front axle and punctured two of its 100-gallon diesel tanks, which required the Department of Environmental Protection to come to the scene to remove the fuel. Police, ambulance and fire vehicles lined the road as bystanders looked on, some crying and hugging each other at the scene. Traffic was kept to one lane for a couple of hours before the road was blocked and traffic rerouted so state police investigators could finish their work. The vehicle was covered with a tarp as police used equipment to make a forensic map of the accident. Three tow trucks arrived for the vehicles shortly after a funeral-home van pulled up to the scene.

Truck owner Peter Gagne arrived to see the remains of his rig.

"I wish the state of Maine would let us run trucks on the interstate and this wouldn't happen," Gagne said as he surveyed the scene.

Later, Debbie Geiger came out of her home near the overturned truck to speak about VonOesen, who was engaged to her daughter, Sarah Geiger.

Speaking with anger and pain, Debbie Geiger said, "Maybe they should do something about this truck traffic and slow them down. They go too fast. We have been waiting for something like this to happen and unfortunately it happened to our family member."

With tears in her eyes, Geiger said, "I'm glad he got a chance to see his five-year-old son attend school for the first time this week. They were very close."

Seven troopers investigated the accident, including reconstructionists and commercial-vehicle inspectors.

Vrooman said Wednesday that no charges had been filed, but the case will be reviewed by the district attorney's office.