Truck driver swerved to avoid hitting a pickup
truck that had braked in front of his rig. The tractor-trailer spun around and
ended up on its side in the ditch. Interstate 95 reopens following truck crash
in Sidney, Maine
Lanes between exit 113 in Augusta and exit 120 in Sidney
were shut down for much of the day Monday.
AUGUSTA, Maine — The lanes of Interstate 95 between exit
113 in Augusta and exit 120 in Sidney reopened early Monday evening after being
shut down for much of the day following a crash.
The lanes were closed from 11 a.m. to around 4:35 p.m.
to allow a tractor-trailer that crashed there overnight to be removed, Maine
State Police said. The truck was left off the road until wreckers could be
scheduled to tow it out Monday, according to Steve McCausland, spokesman for
the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Large rolls of paper are removed from the
tractor-trailer wreck Monday on Interstate 95 in Sidney so the truck could be
righted and towed. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed between exit 113
and 120 so the tractor-trailer could be removed. Photo courtesy of Maine State
Police
Workers remove one of 15 large rolls of paper with a
crane Monday from a tractor-trailer that overturned and landed in the median
strip of the northbound lane of I-95 in Sidney. Police attributed the accident
to slippery road conditions. Traffic on the interstate was stopped, and
motorists detoured from Exit 113 to Exit 120. David Leaming/Kennebec Journal
Workers on Monday load rolls of paper after using a
crane to unload a tractor-trailer that slid and overturned on the northbound
lane of I-95 in Sidney on Sunday night. Traffic was detoured from exit 113 to
exit 120. David Leaming/Kennebec Journal
The truck was headed for Presque Isle carrying large
rolls of paper, which also had to be removed by a crane. The large pieces of
equipment used to remove the truck and paper rolls used both northbound lanes
of Interstate 95 for the clean-up effort.
The driver of the truck, Mohammed Syed, 47, of Orlando,
Fla., suffered minor cuts and bruises but refused medical attention, according
to McCausland. No violations were cited.
Trooper Jesse Duda was following the truck and witnessed
the crash. He also helped kick out the truck’s windshield so Syed could get
out.
Police said Syed swerved to avoid hitting a pickup truck
driven by Spencer Thornton, 23, of Skowhegan, that had braked in front of his
rig. The tractor-trailer spun around and ended up on its side in the ditch.
Syed’s truck tapped the pickup’s bumper during the
incident, causing minor damage, but troopers said his quick actions steered the
big rig away from the pickup.
Authorities detoured traffic around the site.