Police Say a Crash Between 2 Trucks in Auburn Caused by Sun Glare

Maine State Police say a crash between a pickup and a tractor-trailer was partially caused by sun glare.

I'm not a big fan of driving this time of year, and it's not the snow that bothers me. It's the fact that the sun starts sitting lower in the sky and causes a nasty glare at certain times of the day. According to the State Police, this seems to have been a factor in a crash on Monday that, luckily, didn't result in life-threatening injuries.

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Where Was the Crash?

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss says the crash happened at approximately 3:30 Monday afternoon at the southbound exit of I-95 in Auburn. The driver of a gray Ford Ranger pickup truck was traveling southbound when he tried to change lanes. As he was moving into the adjoining lane, his pickup struck the rear corner of a tractor-trailer and flipped upside down.

Was Anyone Hurt?

The pickup caught fire but some quick-thinking motorists who had stopped to see if they could help used fire extinguishers that they had in their vehicles. They were able to put out the flames before first responders arrived. The driver, 70-year-old Richard Kammel of Sabattus had to be extricated from his vehicle. Once he was out of the pickup, Kammel was transported to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer wasn't hurt.

What Caused the Pickup to Strike the Tractor-Trailer?

Police say sun glare was a contributing factor to this crash, making it difficult for Kammel to see how close he was to the big rig. Traffic was backed up before one lane of traffic was re-opened to traffic.