Imprudent speed for the road conditions caused a December 19 accident in Whitefield that injured the vehicle's driver, a Lincoln County sheriff's sergeant said.

Radek Janik, 39, of Whitefield was traveling in a 2007 Dodge Caravan just north of the Alna line when his vehicle rotated clockwise, left the roadway and struck an embankment, a utility pole and a fence, Sgt. Jason Nein said. The accident occurred shortly before 2 p.m.

Janik was taken by ambulance to Maine General Hospital in Augusta with non-life-threatening injuries. The seatbelt Janik was wearing when the accident occurred likely helped keep the injuries from being worse, Nein said.

Rescue workers were not able to assist Janik until a Central Maine Power crew arrived because wires had come down on the vehicle. However, the rescue workers talked with him while he waited in the vehicle, Nein said.

No charges will be brought against Janik, Nein said. Nein urged motorists to drive with caution on sanded roadways. Sand provides traction on ice, but can make it harder for a vehicle to stop when the road is dry, or wet like it was at the time of Wednesday's accident, Nein said.

"It's kind of a double-edged sword," he said.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.