April 5th, 2010 | 
Author: SHERMAN, ME – A Foster Farms semi truck crashed into a Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) dump truck that was parked on a stretch of the northbound Interstate 95 in Sherman, Maine just after 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 3, 2010. The MDOT truck had been parked behind a maintenance crew on the Interstate as protection when the Peterbilt tractor trailer slammed into the parked truck.
Scene of a tractor trailer accident after it crashed into a parked MDOT dump truck on I-95 in Sherman, ME. Photo credit: Karen McGraw
Sherman is in the northern part of the state, about 209 miles northeast of Portland, about 157 miles northeast of Augusta and about 92 miles northeast of Bangor, Maine.
The driver of the MDOT dump truck was sitting behind the wheel at the time of the collision. Both truck drivers were injured in the big rig accident, although it is reported that their injuries did not appear to be life threatening.
According to a news release by Maine State Police Trooper Brian Harris, the injured driver of the MDOT dump truck was Maitland Stevens, 59 years old from Island Falls, ME and the injured driver of the semi truck was Gary Johnson, years old from Houlton, ME.
Both drivers were taken to local hospitals after the accident. Stevens was taken to Millinocket Regional Hospital. No information was available on his medical condition.
Johnson was taken to Houlton Regional Hospital but later on Friday night he was transferred for further evaluation to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
Both Johnson and Stevens were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
Location of semi truck collision with MDOT dump truck on northbound Interstate 95 near Sherman, Maine.
According to Trooper Harris, a road maintenance crew was protected by the MDOT dump truck while being parked behind them on the Interstate when the 18 wheeler crashed into it.
Below is a Google Street View of northbound Interstate 95 in Sherman, Maine. You can see guard rails on both sides of the highway and you can click the mouse button and drag it around to get a 360° view of the surrounding landscape.
The big rig crashed into the dump truck and then jackknifed after hitting a guardrail. both lanes of Interstate 95 were blocked as a result of the accident. Both northbound travel lanes remained closed until about 5 p.m. when traffic was reopened.
The cab of the semi sustained extensive damage and rescue crews from the Island Falls Fire Department had to use the Jaws of Life to extract Johnson from the wreckage, who was trapped inside. The semi truck was owned by Foster Farms of Littleton, Maine.
The tractor-trailer was demolished in the collision and the MDOT dump truck also was damaged extensively.
For more information about Maine trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact an experienced Maine truck accident lawyer. For a free initial consultation, contact a nationwide truck accident attorney through Gordon, Elias & Seely LLP, for expert advice.
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