Police closed the northbound lanes of Interstate 295 in Gardiner on Wednesday afternoon after a tanker trailer went off the road.
The crash happened at mile 49 near the Gardiner exit at around 1:47 p.m., according to Maine State Police. It blocked all lanes, and diverted traffic to Exit 49.
The truck driven by Allen Hewett, 61, of Sidney, had been northbound on I-295, when he crashed into a traffic director trailer. The traffic director was a sign on a trailer that helps to ensure traffic flow in work zones.
It was set up because Maine Turnpike workers had been picking up a lane which had been closed for a toll plaza repair.
According to Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss, Hewett failed to yield to the maintenance truck that hauled the traffic director, and crashed into the sign.
Hewett’s truck then rolled over and struck a cable guardrail. The crash caused the spill of around 8,000 gallons of “dirty water,” which is liquid waste water from a landfill that Hewett had been hauling.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was called to the scene, due to the hazard spill.
The truck hauling the traffic direction sign came to rest across both northbound lanes, and was seriously damaged. The driver was transported to Maine General Hospital with minor injuries. It was not immediately clear if Hewett was injured in the crash.
Hewett was issued a citation for failing to maintain control of a motor vehicle and failing to yield to a highway maintenance vehicle.
I-295 northbound between Exit 49 and Exit 51 remains closed, with the lanes estimated to be open around 5 p.m.
