2 Crashes on I-95 in Maine When Traffic Slowed Due to a Car Fire

A firetruck was slowed getting to a car fire on I-95 by one of two subsequent four-vehicle-crashes, unrelated to the blaze.

Where Was the Car Fire?

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss says the initial call was for a vehicle on fire on I-95 northbound in Sidney, just after 3:30 Wednesday afternoon. A Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy and a State Trooper responded within minutes to find a white 2013 Chrysler 300 fully engulfed in flames.

The sole occupant of the vehicle, Gerald Foss, 46 of Winslow, was able to pull the car into the breakdown lane and escape the flames.

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Traffic advisory signs were activated, cautioning motorists about the incident and reducing traffic to one lane. Moss says smoke could be seen from a distance. As passing traffic slowed down, law enforcement personnel noticed a secondary crash that was delaying the arrival of the fire department. When they finally got through, members of the Sidney Fire Department quickly extinguished the flames. The vehicle is a total loss.

What Happened in the Second Crash?

The crash that was holding up the firetruck involved four vehicles about a half mile from the site of the fire. Moss says traffic was attempting to merge into the passing lane which slowed the pace when a loaded 18-wheeler hauling debris materials failed to slow down in time and struck three other vehicles in front of it. All three vehicles were pushed off the roadway.

One person in one of the vehicles was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. This secondary crash caused all flow of traffic to come to a complete stop in both lanes until Troopers arrived and were able to open up one lane of the roadway. The crash was cleared in under an hour.

And the Third?

As that secondary crash caused traffic to back up for miles, a third crash involving another four vehicles was reported about a mile away from the car fire in Sidney. When Troopers responded to that crash site, they found four vehicles sitting along the left shoulder and partially in the passing lane. Moss says the preliminary investigation indicates that the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee was traveling north in the passing lane when vehicles ahead of her braked. The driver said she rear-ended the vehicle in front of her, which caused a chain reaction.

Four people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The names of the people involved in the subsequent crashes have not been released.