CARMEL, Maine — It was a frustrating day for motorists driving south on Interstate 95 for much of Thursday thanks to a pair of incidents in central Maine that tied up traffic for hours.
A multi-vehicle crash involving passenger cars and tractor-trailers occurred about 8:30 a.m. near mile marker 146 in Pittsfield. The crash forced emergency responders to shut down the road for nearly two hours.
Maine State Police Sgt. Blaine Bronson said the chain-reaction crash occurred when a woman who was approaching a construction zone on the southbound side of the interstate failed to stop in time as traffic was merging into one lane.
Three tractor-trailers and four passenger vehicles were involved, he said. Four people who were riding in three of the passenger vehicles were taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
All southbound traffic was detoured at Exit 150, according to Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Ted Talbot.
The interstate reopened about 11 a.m., but traffic was moving at a slow pace, however.
Later on, after traffic had resumed at a reduced level, a car caught fire on the highway between mile markers 168 and 167 in Carmel.
The vehicle fire and spreading flames reported about 2 p.m. led the Maine Department of Transportation to shut down the road for about 35 minutes. A detour was put in place, according to state police, and one lane was reopened to traffic.
Talbot said the fire was about 1,000 yards in length and stretched 500 yards into the woods. Long travel delays were expected as fire crews battled the flames.