SACO, Maine — Maine State Police were handling a one-vehicle crash in a northbound lane of the Maine Turnpike on Saturday morning when a second accident involving two cars occurred.
No one was injured in either wreck, according to troopers. All three cars were demolished.
James C. Crosman, 58, of Portland was headed north on Interstate 95 when he tried to adjust a knee brace he was wearing due to a previous injury, according to Trooper Richard Maguire.
Crosman, who was traveling between 70 and 75 miles per hour, lost control of his 2000 Dodge Ram cargo van near mile marker 38 about 8:10 a.m., Maguire said.
The van went off the highway toward the median, hit a wall of snow, rolled across all three lanes of the turnpike and came to rest on its side in the breakdown lane.
As troopers were working to right the van, the second accident occurred, according to Trooper James Urquhart.
A 2005 Chrysler van driven by Judith Potter, 58, of Eliot rear-ended a 2010 Subaru driven by Maura O’Connor, 55, of Saco as the two approached the accident site, he said.
Potter’s van pushed O’Connor’s car into the first crash scene. The trooper estimated the women were going about 45 miles per hour when the wreck happened.
Police had to shut down an additional lane for about an hour to deal with the accidents, Urquhart said.