Maine Trucker Arrested After Years Of Avoiding Turnpike Tolls

Police say a long-haul truck driver was arrested Thursday after he avoided paying tolls on the Maine Turnpike for up to six years, racking up more than $1,300 in unpaid tolls.

The driver, 61-year-old Danny Olson of Turner, avoided the tolls by "illegally attaching license plates not belonging to him," state police said in a Friday news release.

"One of the license plates belonged to a man who had died and a second plate belonged to a person who was not involved in the thefts," the release said.

Olson, the owner of Olson Transportation, is also suspected of accumulating thousands of dollars in additional unpaid tolls from other northeast states.

The trucker was arrested and then transported to the Androscoggin County Jail after police pulled over his rig in Auburn.

Olson was charged with theft of services, having a false log book, failing to retain his previous log books, illegal attachment of registration plates, unauthorized taking of registration plates and failing or neglecting to pay tolls.

Police said license plates that did not belong to Olson were recovered from his truck, which was placed out of service and towed due to safety violations.

Olson was released from jail after posting $2,500 bail.