Troop G Weekly Report 11/02/2020 - 11/08/2020

On 11/03/2020, Tr. Welch stopped Derek J. Lemieux (35) of Biddeford at mile 63 in Gray for an expired registration.  Lemieux was subsequently summonsed for OAS and Operating with a Suspended Registration (Toll Evasion).

On 11/03/2020, Tr. Welch stopped Brady N. Nicholson (32) of Passadumkeag at Mile 66 in New Gloucester for a Suspended Registration (Toll Evasion).  Nicholson was cited accordingly.

On 11/3/2020, a snow squall had gone through the northern end of the Turnpike causing the roads to become wet and icy.  Pike maintenance crews were called out to salt the roadway due to the icy road conditions.  Tr. Davis received a report of a single vehicle into the median guardrail at mile marker 108.  After removing the vehicle from the scene and completing a crash report, Tr. Davis proceeded southbound from exit 109 and observed a crash involving a pickup off the roadway and a tractor trailer jack knifed in the northbound lanes blocking the roadway at mile marker 108.5.  Cpl. Rogers had overheard the crash report and responded from mile marker 111 to assist.  Tr. Davis arrived on scene and met with Cpl. Rogers, who was assisting the driver of the Kris-Way tractor trailer.  The driver had been traveling northbound in the Kris-Way tractor trailer in lane two when he lost control of the vehicle due to the icy roads. The truck crossed from lane two into the median, striking the guardrail.  As the truck returned to the roadway, the rear of his tractor struck a JB Hunt tractor trailer that was traveling northbound in lane two.  The first truck then jackknifed, blocking the roadway. The driver of the JB Hunt truck continued northbound and pulled to the shoulder with disabling damage to the trailer.  A pickup truck had been traveling northbound after the crash and swerved to avoid the tractor trailer and went off the roadway down the grass embankment. The driver of the Kris-Way tractor trailer was transported to Maine General. 

On 11/05/2020, Tr. Keller arrested Richard Gould (54) of Harwich, MA on the ME Turnpike at mile 109 northbound in Augusta resulting from a motor vehicle pursuit that began on the Pike in Sabattus.  Prior to the pursuit, three separate erratic operation complaints were called in on the suspect.  The last one reported that the vehicle went off the roadway and struck a guardrail and then continued on.  The vehicle was spotted by Tr. Kelley in the Sabattus area and he attempted to stop it to no avail.  The pursuit traveled up the Pike and was terminated when vehicle ran over deployed spike mats.  Troop G was assisted by Troopers from Troops B and C.  He was charged with Operating under the Influence, Eluding, Leaving the Scene of a Crash, and Criminal Speed.

On 11/06/2020, Sgt. Porter responded to a modular home almost tipping over in the breakdown lane on I-95 NB in the area of mile marker 63.5. B & B Towing was hauling a modular home when a tire failed on the passenger side of the trailer. The heavy wrecker was towing the modular home that was attached to a trailer with only two axles resting in the middle of the modular home. Both passenger side tires failed on the trailer, and the modular home began to lean over towards the ditch in the breakdown lane. It appears the tires were not weight rated for the load. B & B Towing did their own recovery of the modular home and due to the limits of being over height and not fitting under the overpasses on the Turnpike while on the wrecker, it was brought to Maine Turnpike Authority Gray Maintenance until further arrangements could be made. The driver/owner of the wrecker produced a State of Maine over limit permit as well as an MTA permit to operate on the Maine Turnpike. The MTA permit was purchased at the Rand Road toll. It appears B & B Towing did not follow the route on the permit and may be in violation, which will be followed up on.  Tr. DeGroot from the Commercial MV unit was called out to assist in the investigation. At one point, both NB and SB lanes were shut down to move the modular home through a crossover in order to get it off the roadway. Traffic was affected for about 3 hours. Tr. Parks also assisted on scene.

On 11/06/2020, Cpl. Physic attended the Interstate Commission of Juveniles meeting as the law enforcement representative to the council.