The Burbs (Sponsor: North End Motor Sales)

Local college senior killed in fiery wrong-way crash

  • Posted by The Burbs (Sponsor: North End Motor Sales) December 6, 2023 - Filed in News - #Dudley  #Julie Chapdelaine  #Shepherd Hill Regional  - 11,310 views

    Julia Chapdelaine (Bartel Funeral Home)

    PORTLAND, Maine — A devastating wrong-way crash last week claimed the lives of 3 people, including a local 22-year-old college student, Julia Chapdelaine of Dudley, who was a senior at the University of New England.

    The fatal incident occurred on Wednesday, November 29th, around 9:40 p.m. in Portland. The wrong-way driver, 23-year-old Brandon Crawford-Adams of Old Orchard Beach, was operating a gray 2018 Honda Civic. Julia was a passenger in the Civic. The collision also claimed the life of a 33-year-old man from Portland.

    Authorities said that Crawford-Adams was speeding south in the northbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike when his Honda Civic first collided with a pickup truck and then struck the RAV4, according to an article from WMTW. The impact was so severe that both vehicles erupted into flames, resulting in the tragic deaths of all 3 occupants.

    Julia, who was born on March 21st, 2001, in Port Charlotte, Florida, spent most of her life in Dudley. She was a senior at the University of New England, pursuing a degree in Public Health, which she will receive posthumously in the spring.

    Julia's family and friends remember her as someone who could light up any room with her beautiful smile and whose kindness touched the lives of all who knew her. She was a proud graduate of Shepherd Hill Regional High School, a member of the Fantasy and Illusion show choirs, and a member of the field hockey team, according to a tribute on the Bartel Funeral Home website.

    A celebration of Julia's life is scheduled for December 16th at Bartel Funeral Home & Chapel in Dudley. Calling hours will be held from 9 to 11, followed by a service at 11. In lieu of flowers, the Chapdelaine family has requested that donations be made to nomoredysphoria.org, a cause that was close to Julia's heart.

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