Maine State Police are warning passersby not to stop along the highway to take pictures of motor vehicle crashes.

The warning comes after state police say they confronted a woman who they say parked her car on the median on Interstate 295 in Portland Saturday to photograph a crash.

The crash occurred shortly before 2:30 p.m. on mile marker 4 northbound in Portland, police stated.

The driver of a 2017 GMC Sierra lost control, struck a guardrail and went across both lanes of traffic before the pickup truck rolled over, according to police.

The driver, Eli Solodiuk, 22, of Westford, Massachusetts was able to get out of the truck and was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland with minor injuries, police said.

“The investigation shows he was going too fast for road conditions on partially bald tires,” police stated in a news release.

The travel lane was closed for almost an hour while the truck was removed.

“While the Trooper was trying to cover the crash, get the road cleared to get traffic moving again and tow the vehicle he noticed a female driving southbound stopped her vehicle in the median and ran down to the crash to take pictures,” the release stated.
“The Trooper informed her she was trespassing and needed to leave. The woman was extremely argumentative and told the Trooper she was not doing anything illegal. The Maine State Police would like to remind the public that stopping and getting out on the Interstate is not only a safety issue but it is illegal.”

Police say the trooper was unable to identify the woman or her vehicle. 

The woman could have been charged with obstructing government administration, obstructing public ways, criminal trespass and being a pedestrian on a divided highway, according to the release.