MARCH 18, 2015
BENTON, MAINE
Maine State Police say one lane of Interstate 95 in Benton
will be closed for the day after a tractor-trailer carrying 30,000 pounds of
live lobsters from Nova Scotia went off the road early this morning.
Spokesman Stephen McCausland said a crane will be needed to
get the truck upright and inspect the cargo. The passing lane of the southbound
lanes is closed. The wreck took place along the straight stretch known as the
Benton Flats at mile 135. The driver, Horst Puff of Greenfield, Nova Scotia,
said he swerved to avoid striking a car that had spun out in front of him. The
truck ended up on its side in the median. The driver was not injured.
In addition to one lane being closed, the entire southbound
side will be closed for a time during the day to allow equipment to upright the
truck and remove the cargo. The fate of the lobsters is not clear, McCausland
said.
There goes our lobster meal.
What a shame. I hope they saved
the crustaceans.
This is a very typical accident involving big rigs that
carry a load: a car cuts off the truck and the truck driver then makes an evasive
maneuver to avoid hitting the car.
Little he knows that the truck will rollover, flip to its side or crash
as these trucks cannot be subjected to such movements. The load maybe imbalanced or may move during
the evasive maneuver, making the truck a live bullet in a game of Russian
roulette.