Mind the roads

Two major crashes on Maine’s I-95 in 36 hours; trooper walks away from demolished SUV

Thu, 07/30/2015 - 1:15pm

Maine State Trooper Greg Stevens was transported to Maine Medical Center, in Portland, with non-life threatening injuries July 30, after the cruiser he was driving was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer truck, just north of the I-95 Richmond exit, on the northbound side.

Stevens was able to walk away from the wreck, reported the Maine Office of Public Safety.

The truck then caught fire and ended up in the median. The truck driver was not injured.

Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said Thursday afternoon: “The truck driver in this morning’s crash in Richmond has been cited for failing to move over for an emergency vehicle.  56 year old Gusan Yedic of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., was issued a summons for the violation after his tractor trailer slammed into the rear of a State Police cruiser along Interstate 295 in Richmond.  The cruiser, with its blue lights on, was in the breakdown lane. Trooper Greg Stevens had just checked on another tractor trailer that had been stopped along the road. Moments after Stevens returned to his cruiser and after that tractor trailer had merged back into traffic, the cruiser was struck from behind.” 

Traffic was backed up for several miles on the northbound side. Motorists traveling north were advised use Route 201 or the Maine Turnpike to detour around the crash site for the afternoon.

The fire destroyed the truck and also caused a grass fire in the median, which was put out by area fire departments.

On July 29, at 6 a.m., a tractor trailer loaded with 90,000 pounds of lumber ran off I-95 in Sidney at mile 115 in the northbound lane. The truck was operated by John Rancourt, 32, of Jay, who likely fell asleep, said the Maine Office of Public Safety, in a news release.

Rancourt escaped the wreck unhurt.

Nearly all of the wood broke loose from the trailer after it slammed into the rock ledge. The truck and trailer were demolished.

The travel lane was shut down while the wood was recovered and the wreck removed. The lane reopened just after noontime. Troopers reviewed the driver's commercial paperwork and no violations were found.