By Lawrence Powell
The Spectator
NovaNewsNow.com
A 39-year-old Annapolis County man died of injuries sustained in a head-on crash early Thursday morning on Highway 101 between Lawrencetown and Bridgetown.
Steven Bent died at 14 Wing Greenwood just as his LifeFlight fixed-wing aircraft flight to hospital in Halifax was about to take off. EHS has confirmed a patient died at 14 Wing before transport.
RCMP media spokesperson Sgt. Brigdit Leger said Thursday a man driving a westbound Intrepid crossed into the eastbound lane and collided head on with a Honda Civic driven by a 60-year-old Digby woman. The crash occurred at about 7:45 a.m.
The highway was closed and traffic was being rerouted at Exit 19 in Lawrencetown and Exit 20 at Bridgetown.
Both were the only occupants of their respective vehicles and both were entrapped and had to be extricated using the jaws of life. Firefighters from Bridgetown and Lawrencetown responded.
The two injured drivers were first taken to Soldiers Memorial Hospital and the woman was airlifted to Halifax by Cormorant helicopter to Shearwater and by ground ambulance to the QE II. Leger said the male driver suffered from life-threatening injuries while the woman was considered to have serious injuries. Leger said late Thursday afternoon that the 60-year-old Digby woman was still in hospital.
The highway was reopened to traffic at about 1 p.m. Thursday. Leger said RCMP members are continuing their investigation to determine the cause of the collision.
Bent, who lived on Brinton Road, Port Lorne, worked at Michelin and was a member of the Port Lorne Volunteer Fire Department since 1991.
Fellow Port Lorne firefighter Hilliard Ewing posted this on his Facebook page:
“A family, a community, and a fire department are mourning the loss of a great guy, Steven Bent. Our thoughts are with Steven's family at this difficult time. Rest in Peace Captain Bent.”
Another fellow firefighter, Roger Walker, said “Rest in Peace Steven William Bent, may God be with your family during this time of grief.”
