A turnpike worker was injured early Thursday morning when an alleged drunken driver crashed into the toll booth where he was working.
John Schwabe, 46, of Westbrook was working in a toll booth on the Falmouth spur about 1:40 a.m. when 22-year-old Ethan Chase of Durham lost control of his car and crashed, according to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Chase’s car then caught fire. The toll booth was heavily damaged in the crash, and shattered glass and other debris hit Schwabe, who was treated at Maine Medical Center in Portland for facial and head lacerations, Moss said Thursday.
He was scheduled to be released from the hospital later on Thursday.
Chase was not injured in the crash.
Chase was charged with aggravated OUI.
A Maine Turnpike Authority engineer will be assessing damage to the toll booth. Moss said the crash did not affect the high-speed toll lanes.
The crash remains under investigation, and no additional information was released.