The road blocked after a train and tractor-trailer collided Wednesday in Aroostook County is open again.
Initially, it was expected to take up to three days to clear the scene on Route 11, but the road was reopened by Thursday morning, according to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
James Tapley, 26, of Monticello was driving a tractor-trailer owned by Bartlett Forest Products of Amity south on Route 11 about 1:18 p.m. when he struck a train crossing the road, Moss said.
Tapley was hauling woodchips, and Moss said he was unable to stop, colliding with the train and causing it to derail.
Tapley was seriously injured and taken to Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle. A dog that was traveling with Tapley was taken to a local veterinarian for treatment.
The train operator wasn’t injured.
The tractor trailer was destroyed, the Maine Department of Transportation owns the track, Paul Merrill, a spokesperson for the department, told the Bangor Daily News. The train was operated by Maine Northern Railway.