TOPSHAM, Maine — Maine State Police believe a seizure triggered a crash Saturday along Interstate 295 that left a 26-year-old man pinned in a car stuck on its side between two trees.
The crash, reported by another motorist at 11:50 a.m., occurred on I-295 northbound near mile marker 33, according to Maine State Trooper James Leonard.
The sole occupant of the vehicle, Richard Sandberg, 26, a student at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, apparently suffered a seizure. His four-door Hyundai sedan veered off the road, careened down an embankment and flipped on its side, becoming wedged between two trees at least 200 feet from the roadway. There was no indication that Sandberg hit the brakes during the incident, Leonard said.
The vehicle went up an incline and hit an outcropping of trees in such a way that the car tipped up onto its side with the passenger side door in the air, and came to a stop wedged between two trees, Leonard said.
A Topsham police officer arrived first on scene. The Topsham Fire Department arrived within minutes and Topsham EMS assisted as well.
Rescue workers cut the roof off the car to extricate Sandberg, who was taken by ambulance to Maine Medical Center in Portland. A LifeFlight helicopter was initially called as a precaution, but the chopper was busy at that time, so rescue workers canceled the call.
Leonard said late Saturday afternoon that Sandberg was in critical care and was still being assessed, but it appeared he suffered no serious injuries.
Sandberg was unconscious at the scene but it was unclear if it was a cause of or result of the crash. He was reported in satisfactory condition Monday morning by a hospital representative.
Traffic on I-295 northbound was reduced to one lane as a result of the crash. Leonard said the incident did not fit the criteria for a crash reconstruction.
Sandberg’s driver’s license was suspended in Maine for failure to pay a fine, so police issued him a summons for operating after suspension.
Trooper Chris Rogers assisted Leonard at the scene. Leonard said a passer-by who is a nurse, and her boyfriend who is in the military, stopped to administer aid and help as best they could until the fire department arrived.
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Gooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll !!!
Well at least he wasn’t texting…………….
Are people who suffer seizures allowed to drive? If not, isn’t driving a criminal act on his part?
Some people who have seizures can drive. I had an accident same thing driving down the road and had a seizure, first time for it. I couldn’t drive for 90 days, and now i have a medical restricted license if I have any change in my medicine I can’t drive again for normally 90 days.
could that possibly be why his license was suspended?
I wouldn’t think so cause it said unpaid fines. You don’t get fined for that. Normally you don’t get a ticket if its medical related, unpaid fines I would think would be more like unpaid speeding tickets or something along that lines.
Read the article for heaven’s sake. It was an unpaid fine. Good grief, nothing like assuming the worst.
Maybe it was the first time he had ever suffered a seizure, so there was no history on which they could base a restricted license. BTW, people with a history of seizures can drive, provided the seizures are under control (generally with medication).
Thanks for the info. BTW, I wasn’t trying to be mean spirited. I was genuinely curious.
Seize the day….
Tragic.
Thanks to the passers -by for helping.
Unfortunately Mr. Sanders will be unable to qualify for a USCG license if he has a history of siezures.
Not everyone graduating from Maine Maritime goes for a USCG license. Some are engineers in a variety of industries. I work with a bunch of MMA grads and none of us are on ships.
True, PET and the fishcounters don’t sit for a license, hopefully he is in one of the non-seagoing career fields.
That was my first thought upon reading this as well.
i have sezuires n maines law is once u have them u cant drive for 3 months. now im on medicine and have no restrictions on my license im sure it all depends on how bad the sezuires are but thats what happend for me. it is very dangerous driving if u have epilepsy i can tell when mine are coming but some come with no warning. i thank god i know when im gana have one i have nocternal epilepsy meaning i have them in my sleep but the whole day before i have em i know
I am really sorry you have a seizure disorder but really, you shouldn’t be driving at all. Your description of “sometimes I know they are coming sometimes I don’t” is exactly how hers were. Someday, sooner or later, you’re going to hurt someone. It will be a tough burden for you to bear knowing that because you drove someone else is suffering. I’m not trying to be mean. I “had” a wife who drove even though she had epilepsy. Nuff said.
when you have a sezuire maines law suspends ur license for an automatic 3 months. i have nocturnal epilepsy meaning i have sezuires in my sleep and the whole day before i have one i know its coming. but some people do have them with no warning. and im one medicine now and my license has no restircti0ons it is very dangorus driving with epilepsy not being treated.