Interstate 295

On Tuesday,  November 8, 2022 at approximately 4:10 pm, Troopers responded to a report of two separate, three vehicle crashes involving a tractor trailer truck, a large box truck, two small box trucks and a pickup truck on 295 Southbound at mile marker 27 in Brunswick.  Two people have been transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland for non-life threatening injuries.  295 southbound is currently closed in the area and traffic is being re-routed off Exit 28 Southbound to Route 1.  295 will possibly be closed for next hour or so. 
The congested roadway and glaring sun are believed to be factors in the crashes.
 

A truck hauling hot patch pavement caught fire this morning causing I-295 to be closed while the flames were brought under control.

On April 25, 2022, around 9:20, Maine State Police received a report of a truck on fire near mile marker 5 in South Portland. Troopers arrived on scene and determined that the commercial vehicle had multiple propane tanks on board that were igniting and fueling the fire. Both north and south traffic was shut down while the South Portland Fire Department dealt with the fire.

I-295 remained shut down for approximately 3 hours. The vehicle was travelling from Woburn, MA to Bangor. The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but the truck recently underwent maintenance to the propane heating system and it is possible this system malfunctioned causing the fire. Thankfully no one was injured.
 

On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, at approximately 3:35 p.m. Maine State Police responded to an incident on 295 southbound in Richmond at Exit 43. Upon arrival, Troopers discovered a Freeport man had jumped off the 295 overpass striking the windshield of a tractor-trailer that was traveling southbound on 295. The driver of the tractor-trailer was able to stop the truck at the entry of the Exit 43 southbound onramp. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer who is from Pennsylvania was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Both lanes of traffic southbound were shut down temporarily. Both lanes have since reopened.

Our thoughts go out to the family of the deceased and the driver of the tractor-trailer.

If you are concerned about yourself or someone you know please call the Maine Crisis Hotline at 1-888-568-1112. Someone is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
 

For additional resources please click this link.

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO

On Monday May 3,2021 at approximately 1pm, Trooper Willard was traveling south on I-295 around mile 10, when he observed a black Freightliner Tractor with a box trailer start to brake and jackknife.  Trooper Willard was able to reverse direction and arrive on scene a minute later.  

The tractor trailer was now blocking both lanes of travel bringing northbound traffic to a stop.  For a short period the driver, Jesse Philbrick, 66, from Limestone, was unable to exit the truck as one door was blocked and the other stuck.  The passenger side window was broken and Philbrick was assisted out of the truck without injury.

Witnesses say Philbrick was traveling in the right lane, when a vehicle entered 295 from exit 10, failing to yield to Philbrick.  This in turn caused Philbrick to apply his brakes and subsequently jackknife.  No other vehicles were involved in the crash.  

295 in the area of mile 10 was shut down for about 1.5 hours due to a large amount of fuel spilling from the ruptured fuel tanks.  Traffic was diverted to Route 1.    

At this time only one lane of traffic is open as cleanup continues on the left lane.

If anyone witnessed a black sedan that may entered the interstate just prior to the incident is asked to contact Trooper Connor Willard of Troop B in Gray, 207-624-7076.

Other members of Troop B and K along with Falmouth Fire and Police and DEP / DOT assisted.
 

From the desk of Shannon Moss

A Westbrook Man was arrested for OUI after driving the wrong way on Interstate 295

At approximately 9:20 this morning Maine State Police Troop B received a report of a vehicle going northbound in the southbound travel lane of Interstate 295 in Portland.

Troopers from Troops B, G, the Portland Police Department, and Maine Marine Patrol responded to the area.

The vehicle traveled North for approximately 5 miles to include passing a marked state police cruiser with blue lights on that had been slowing traffic in the southbound lanes. The vehicle eventually pulled into a cross-over upon seeing a Maine Marine Patrol truck with its lights on. The driver of the vehicle, Eric Page, 30, of Westbrook, was arrested and charged with Operating Under the influence and Driving to Endanger.

Page’s blood-alcohol level was more than 3 times the legal limit.

If anyone has any video or witness the incident they are asked to contact Trooper James Leonard at 207-624-7076
 

Multiple vehicles were involved in a crash in the Northbound lane of I-295 in Falmouth near mile marker 12 that briefly closed both lanes to traffic.

On Aug. 12, 2020, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Tpr. John Darcy was investigating a hit and run crash in the breakdown lane at mile 12 northbound on I-295 in Falmouth. One vehicle involved in the crash had continued northbound and was later located by Troop D Troopers. While Tpr. Darcy was speaking with the operator of the vehicle at mile 12, vehicles traveling by began to slow. The sudden slowing of traffic lead to several cars slamming on their brakes. One vehicle stopping short caused a rear-end crash. Several more rear-end crashes began happening. In total, an 8 vehicle pile-up occurred, blocking both travel lanes.

3 people were transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland by Falmouth Rescue with non-life threatening injuries.

5 vehicles were towed from the scene by Stewart’s Towing and Copp Motors.

Troopers from Troop B and G assisted as well as Maine DOT and the Falmouth Fire Department.

Thanks to all the help from the multiple agencies involved, the scene was cleared in 45 minutes.

There will be no charges in this case.

A cement truck rolled over when attempting to exit the interstate early this morning.

Maine State Troopers say at approximately 6 a.m., a N.S. Giles cement truck was traveling southbound on I-295 in Freeport, when it attempted to negotiate the Exit 22 southbound off-ramp. The vehicle was traveling too fast for the ramp, and ultimately rolled over into the median. The driver, Benjamin Cookson, 42, of Enfield, was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Exit 22 southbound was shut down for a couple hours while crews removed the vehicle. Freeport Police Department, Freeport Fire & Rescue and Copp Motors assisted on the scene.
 

State Police say nine passenger vehicles , a wrecker and a tractor trailer truck were involved in a chain reaction crash on Interstate 95 in Pittsfield and Palmyra Friday night as freezing rain caught motorists by surprise.  The northbound lanes were closed for two hours as vehicles were towed from the scene and the roads were treated . 

The incident started when a vehicle skidded off the roadway into the median and a wrecker was called to the scene .  As troopers arrived the interstate became ice covered and as other vehicles entered the crash zone, they were unable to slow down and the secondary crashes blocked both northbound lanes.  Maine DOT was notified and Troopers closed I-95NB in Pittsfield by directing all northbound traffic off the interstate until the roadway could be treated.  Troopers escorted motorists from their crashed vehicles to the high embankment along the road for their safety as vehicles continued to crash.  One motorist had minor injuries and was checked by medical personnel at the scene.  Pittsfield Police assisted Troopers with closing the Interstate.  Freezing rain, the ice covered roadway and motorists going too fast for conditions all contributed to the crashes.