ELLSWORTH, Maine — Police diverted traffic at one of downtown’s busiest intersections for two hours because of a stalled flatbed truck, police said.
Police and firefighters had traffic blocked at Main Street and Route 1, and Main Street and Beals Avenue until 6 p.m. Friday as workers unloaded pine sheets from the truck, Ellsworth police Cpl. Shawn Merchant said.
The truck had just picked up a full load of pine from Pleasant River Lumber in Hancock when the truck’s anti-collision braking system locked up, said the driver, Roger Alexander of Mexico.
Alexander, a driver for Hartt Transportation of Bangor, had applied the brakes because he had just crossed train tracks near Angelo’s Pizzeria at 250 Main St. in Ellsworth and didn’t want the nose of the truck to strike the road, he said.
The load shifted forward when the system engaged, he said.
Police and firefighters blocked the road as workers transferred Alexander’s load to another truck. He was taking his load to New Jersey, he said.
The incident was reported at about 4 p.m.