Wrong-Way Driver

On Saturday, January 8, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. the Augusta Regional Communications Center began taking reports of a wrong-way vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lane, at mile marker 22 in Wells on the Maine Turnpike. The vehicle, a gray Subaru, made it to the southbound Kennebunk Service Plaza where it struck a white BMW sedan head-on. Another southbound motorist in a Hyundai SUV then struck the disabled white BMW. Witnesses told Maine State Police the Subaru, driven by 45-year-old Charity Reynolds of Virginia, attempted to conduct a U-turn on the Turnpike and became disabled in the southbound service plaza. Minor injuries were sustained and no one involved in the crashes was transported to the hospital. Further investigation revealed Reynolds struck another vehicle in Wells on I-95 before crashing in Kennebunk. Reynolds, who is already on bail for OUI, was charged with violating conditions of release, OUI alcohol, and driving to endanger. Reynolds was summonsed and will appear in court at a later date.

MSP was assisted by Arundel, Biddeford, and West Kennebunk Fire Departments.
 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO.

A Caribou man was killed in early morning crash on the Turnpike in Kittery. 

Maine State Police is investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at approximately 12:37 a.m. on the ME Turnpike. The crash, involving a passenger car and a tractor-trailer truck occurred southbound at mile 2 in Kittery by the Wilson Road overpass. 29-year-old Caleb Ewing of Caribou, the driver of the car died at the scene. The tractor-trailer, owned and operated by 46-year-old Joshua Stone of Auburn was uninjured. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage. 

It is believed that Ewing entered onto the turnpike in Kittery and traveled in the wrong direction going northbound in the southbound lane. Stone and his tractor-trailer truck, which was hauling bottled water at the time, were traveling southbound and took evasive action upon spotting Ewing, but could not avoid the collision. Ewing struck the side of the tractor-trailer truck rupturing the fuel tank which caused diesel fuel to spill out onto the roadway.

The turnpike was shut down to one lane for hours while police investigated and crews worked to remove the vehicles and re-open the roadway. Assisting in the investigation were MSP’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit, the Kittery Fire Department, Kittery Police Department, York Police and Fire Departments, the DEP, and National Wrecker Service.

The investigation is ongoing. It is unclear at this time if speed and alcohol were contributing factors.