Florida Man Involved in Tractor Trailer Crash in Mars Hill

Maine State Police say a 24-year-old man from the Miami, Florida area escaped injury after the tractor trailer he was driving crashed during a snow storm on Route 1A in Mars Hill.

Jesus Javier Montano from Hialeah, Florida was driving a loaded Kenworth trailer truck north on Route 1A shortly before 10:00 a.m. when he lost control on a sharp turn, according to Corporal Ryan Kilcollins of Troop F. The rig slid across the opposite lane and crashed into the guardrails on the bridge over the Prestile Stream. The rear axle on the truck caught a cement upright and ripped it off the bridge’s structure, Kilcollins said.

Tractor trailer jackknifes on snow-covered Rt. 1A, closing road for two hours

Montano’s tractor trailer continued down the road for a short distance before crossing back into the northbound lane. The rig then went off the roadway with the cab in the woods against some trees, and the trailer stretching across one lane of travel.

A section of Route 1A was shut down until around noontime Sunday while crews removed the truck and trailer. It is believed that speed and poor road conditions were factors in the crash. Police say Montano was wearing a seatbelt and was not injured in the crash. The truck and bridge sustained a significant amount of damage.

State Troopers were assisted at the crash site by Mars Hill Fire Department. Maine DOT was called to the scene to inspect the bridge. They advised the bridge was still structurally sound and passable.