A crash involving six vehicles caused serious injuries and shut down Route 1 for 4 1/2 hours on Wednesday morning.
The crash happened in the southbound lane between the bypass exit and the Maine State ramp. At the time of the crash, traffic in the passing lane had been slow moving.
A 2020 Freightliner Box truck — driven by Chenda Douer, 48, of Portland — struck the back of a 2015 Honda Civic — driven by Bianca McKay, 23, of Boothbay — which pushed it under a 2019 Dodge Caravan — driven by Gordon Beaupre, 71, of Caribou — and caused a chain reaction with three other vehicles, according to Brunswick Police Department officials.
McKay suffered from life-threatening injuries and had to be extricated from her car. She was then taken via Lifeflight to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, officials said. Two other drivers were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries and were released.
The truck driven by Douer was transporting a load of fresh lobsters at the time of the crash. The refrigeration unit remained operational, keeping the lobsters alive. Maine State Police helped with the transfer of the lobsters to another refrigerated vehicle, officials said.
The crash remains under investigation.