WASHINGTON, Maine — Police have obtained a warrant to search the cab of a truck hauling a flatbed that overturned March 18 on Route 17, claiming the lives of two passing motorists.
Knox County Sheriff Donna Dennison said the warrant was needed as part of the investigation into the crash.
The search warrant was obtained Tuesday. The sheriff said it was difficult to know how long the investigation might last, but that it would “take a while.”
The sheriff’s office and the Maine Department of Public Safety’s commercial vehicle division are both investigating the cause of the crash. The investigation is routine and not an indication that charges will be filed. Dennison said that once the investigation is complete, the information will be turned over to the district attorney’s office to determine whether any charges might be filed.
The crash occurred when the flatbed, carrying lumber, overturned on a curve and struck three oncoming vehicles. Killed were Christina Torres-York, 45, of Warren and Paul Fowles, 74, of Owls Head.
The 1998 Freightliner that overturned was driven by Randall Weddle, 53, of Greeneville, Tennessee. He was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to police.
The Maine Department of Transportation also will review accident data from that stretch of road, according to department spokesman Ted Talbot. There have been multiple crashes along that stretch of Route 17 near the intersection with Fitch Road.
The DOT has installed rumble strips along the road as a safety measure, but not yet at that curve.