Maine Turnpike

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO

On Thursday, September 1, 2022  at approximately 9:45 am,  Maine State Police Troop G received a complaint from the Maine Turnpike Authority Dispatch that an MTA maintenance crew member had observed a white minivan operating erratically in the area of mile marker 55 northbound.  The crew also reported there appeared to a be a male and a female in the van involved in an altercation.  Troopers located the vehicle a few minutes later and observed the same conduct reported by the Maine Turnpike Authority.  The vehicle was stopped near Exit 63 in Gray and both occupants, the driver 41-year-old Julio Garcia of Gray and passenger 33-year-old Hope Champagne of Gray were uncooperative with the investigation. Due to the nature and location of the stop Exit 63 NB was temporarily shut down and traffic was diverted to I-295. Garcia was ultimately charged with Criminal Operating After Suspension and the vehicle was towed from the scene.

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO.

On Friday, July 15, 2022, at approximately 5:06 a.m., Maine State Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash at MM 56 northbound in Falmouth. Once on scene Troopers discovered a 2019 black Toyota Highlander had struck the Hurricane Road overpass bridge abutment. The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle left the roadway, traveled 200 feet on the grass part of the shoulder went behind the guardrail, and struck the bridge. 

Troopers believe the driver, 30-year-old Brandon Bates of Lewiston fell asleep at the wheel. Bates was the only occupant in the vehicle. 

Troopers were assisted on scene by Falmouth Fire & Rescue and the Turnpike Authority. 

The crash remains under investigation.
 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO.

On Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 12:51 a.m. Maine State Police Troopers responded to mile marker 40 south bound on I-95 in Scarborough for a report of a crash involving a car vs. moose. After initially striking the moose, the driver of the car, 23-year-old Jordan Andujar of Windham, then struck a passing tractor trailer. Andujar and the two other occupants in the car were transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland with non-life-threatening injuries. The deceased moose was removed from the scene by the Maine Turnpike Authority.  

According to the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) May and June are peak moose collision months. Collisions with moose increase dramatically in these months. Moose are most active at dawn and dusk and they also travel at night. Drivers should be especially alert after sunset because dark colored animals can be very hard to see until they are right in front of your headlights. 
 
Thanks and drive safe! 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO.

On Monday, May 30, 2022 at approximately 11:36 a.m. Maine State Police Troopers responded to a three vehicle crash southbound at Mile Marker 13 in York. Several witnesses told Troopers the driver of a red Chevy SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed while passing cars using multiple lanes in heavy traffic.  The Chevy SUV, driven by 42-year-old Dwayne Page of Guilford, CT. struck a Volvo station wagon from behind.  The station wagon then side swiped a third vehicle before losing control and striking the median guardrail.

Dwyane Page and his passengers (red Chevy SUV) and occupants of the Volvo were transported to the hospital with non-life threating injuries.

All three southbound lanes were closed for an hour. 

The crash is still under investigation.
 

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

On Saturday, November 20, 2021 at approximately 2:45 p.m. Maine State Police responded to a single vehicle crash at mile 100 on I-95 in Litchfield at the West Gardiner Toll Plaza. Upon investigation it was discovered that a vehicle traveling southbound crashed into a guardrail, redirected itself back onto the highway and then struck the center pylon at the toll plaza causing the car to burst into flames. The single occupant of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy this week to determine the identity of the driver.

The crash lane was closed for a couple of hours while the car was removed. The highspeed lanes remained open.

Assisting on scene was the Gardiner Ambulance Service, the West Gardiner,  Litchfield and Augusta Fire Departments.

UPDATE: The tractor trailer, driven by 33-year-old Brian Butler of South Carolina was in the far right lane when he started to lose control. The heavy rain conditions are believed to be a contributing factor in the crash.

The trailer was not loaded at the time of the crash . State Police continues to investigating.
 

Previous release:

Maine State Police Troop G Turnpike is currently out with a tractor trailer truck jack knifed across all lanes in the area of Mile Marker 35 southbound. All south bound traffic in the area is being diverted off exit 36 in Saco. We ask that all motorists seek alternative routes until the area is clear. There is only the tractor trailer involved in the crash and no injuries are reported. 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO

On Monday, October 25, 2021 at approximately 11:46 p.m. Maine State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on I-95 northbound at MM 18 in Wells. 

The preliminary investigation shows 43-year-old Cornelius Hegarty III of Salisbury, Massachusetts was driving his 2013 Toyota Corolla north on I-95 when he crashed into a 2021 Subaru Forester occupied by 64-year-old Carol Funk and 65-year-old Steven Funk of Scarborough. Both were transported to York Hospital for minor injuries. 

Hegarty was arrested and charged with Operating Under the Influence. He was summonsed to appear in court at later date. Prior to the crash, a complaint was reported to dispatch about Hegarty driving erratically. 
Hegarty was not injured.  

The crash remains under investigation.
 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO

On Thursday, September 30, 2021, at approximately 11:09 p.m. Maine State Police responded to a motor vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer and a car on I-95 northbound in Wells.  

The tractor-trailer, driven by 24-year-old Sahib Singh of Fresno, CA was traveling in the right lane when he observed a BMW parked in the breakdown lane. Singh moved to the middle lane from the right lane. The BMW, driven by 52-year-old Brian N. Anger of Auburn, MA pulled out directly in front of the tractor-trailer attempting to use the crossover. Singh was unable to avoid Anger and ran directly into the driver’s side of the car. Both vehicles came to rest in the median against the guardrail. It is unknown why Anger tried to use the crossover at mile 20. 

Brian Anger was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Sahib Singh, who was hauling bulk goods to Lewiston, was transported to Maine Medical Center with minor injuries. 
The crash remains under investigation.  
Northbound traffic was down to one lane and southbound traffic down to two lanes. At this time the left lane of the Turnpike northbound at mile 20 remains blocked.
Wells Fire and Rescue, Maine State Commercial vehicle, and Maine State Police traffic unit assisted at the scene.
 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO

On Friday, August 13, 2021, at approximately 7:23 a.m. a single-vehicle rollover occurred on the Turnpike near mile 66 in Gray.

The driver of a 2008 Hyundai Sonata was traveling northbound in the passing lane and was attempting to change lanes. That driver, a female Minor from Minneapolis who was driving on a permit, did not see the other vehicle in the travel lane, jerked the wheel left to avoid hitting the other vehicle, overcorrected right, and went off the roadway. The car rolled over multiple times, ejecting the driver. The car landed on top of the lower half of her body. The driver, in critical condition was sent by Life Flight to Maine Medical Center in Portland from Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. The passenger, a Minor female from Lewiston and also only on a permit, sustained a head laceration and was being treated at CMMC. 

Maine State law requires that an operator of a vehicle who holds a permit only must have a licensed driver that’s at least 20 years of age, with more than 2 years of experience, holding a valid license, sitting in the front passenger seat, and not impaired.