State Police Investigating Wrong Way Driver, Head-On Crash on I-295 in Portland

On Saturday, August 29, 2026, at approximately 7:15 PM, the Bangor Regional Communications Center took a report of a wrong way driver going northbound in the southbound lanes of I-295 in Portland. Moments later, both the Bangor Regional Communication Center and the Portland Regional Communication Center began taking calls about a head-on crash in the area of Tukey’s Bridge, near exit 8 in Portland.

State Police, Portland Police, and the Portland Fire Department responded to the scene. The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2020 Subaru Outback driven by 88-year-old Ronald Ferguson of Nelson, New Hampshire mistakenly entered the southbound lanes of I-295, going the wrong way. Shortly after, the Subaru struck a 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse traveling southbound. Ronald, his female passenger and the female driver of the Mitsubishi Eclipse, were all transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Two of the Four lanes of I-295 were shut down for just over two hours. The vehicles were towed by Southern Maine Towing and Maietta’s Towing. Maine DOT Safety Patrol assisted on scene. The investigation is ongoing.