Vans with inmates, church group collide in snow, injuring 15

BRIDGEWATER, Maine – Maine state police say a collision involving two vans, one carrying inmates and the other a church group, injured 15 people at the state’s northern edge.

Police say the crash happened Thursday in Bridgewater amid high winds and whiteout conditions. They say those injured were taken to hospitals. Some injuries were serious, but none life-threatening.

One van was an Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office vehicle transporting nine inmates to court. The other was a church van carrying adults and teenagers.

Police say weather conditions played a role in about a dozen other crashes Thursday. The National Weather Service says there was up to 4 inches of snow and 45 to 50 mph wind gusts.

Bridgewater is a town of about 600 people on the border with New Brunswick, Canada.