A tractor trailer crash Wednesday morning in Yarmouth caused another vehicle to “flip around” and wound up closing Interstate 295 for several hours, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety.
State police were alerted to the crash at mile marker 17 northbound at about 9:05 a.m. Wednesday, said department spokesperson Shannon Moss.
The tractor trailer was northbound in the travel lane when it hit a patch of snow, causing the driver to lose control, Moss said.
The tractor trailer bounced off a jersey barrier, and then struck a barrier in the highway’s median, Moss said, “causing the trailer to detach from the tractor, blocking both lanes of traffic.”
At that time, a 2016 Hyundai Sonata was traveling northbound in the passing lane and struck the detached tractor – the unit that hauls the trailer. The tractor ended up landing on the rear of the Hyundai, “causing both the car and tractor to flip around and come to rest facing the wrong direction of travel,” Moss said.
The Hyundai's driver was able to free herself and she was transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
The tractor trailer’s driver, Jerry Freeman, 55, of Lakeport, New Hampshire, was not injured.
The tractor trailer, registered to Xpress Natural Gas out of Montrose, Pennsylvania, was hauling natural gas cylinders that needed to be off loaded.
Traffic was to be diverted at Exit 17 in Yarmouth, and that section of highway was expected to be closed for four hours, according to Moss. Maine State Police tweeted at 3 p.m. Wednesday that they expected the northbound lanes to reopen at 5 p.m.
However, shortly before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, the road remained closed.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances and the highly sensitive nature of the trucks hazardous load, the interstate will continue to be shut down for the foreseeable future," Moss stated. "Reinforcements in the form of heavy recovery equipment is enroute to aid in the recovery. We are hoping to have the highway reopened by 9:00pm but that is subject to change.
"Xpress natural gas LLC has engineers and employees on scene aiding in the recovery of the trailer."
Moss announced the road was reopened shortly before midnight on Wednesday.
This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 18, 2024, to correct the make of the passenger car involved in the crash.
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