Log Truck Collision in Strong, Maine Injures Three People

Three people were taken to the hospital Tuesday following a collision between a logging truck and a Jeep in Franklin County, Maine.

Police and emergency crews responded to the crash on Route 4 in Strong around 7:00 a.m., according to Public Safety Department spokesperson Shannon Moss.

Maine State Police said the empty Kenworth logging truck, driven by 59-year-old Rene Gagnon of Quebec, was traveling north when it crossed the center line and struck a Jeep in the opposite lane.

The collision sent the Jeep spinning off the road, where it rolled over and came to rest next to a telephone pole. The driver, 23-year-old Kaitlyn Adams of New Sharon, Maine and her passenger 25-year-old Lucas Newell of Strong sustained minor injuries, Moss said.

The logging truck crashed into the trees off the opposite side of the road. Mr. Gagnon was also reported to have minor injuries. All three people were transported to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington by NorthStar EMS.

Maine State Police was assisted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Farmington Police Department, Strong and Farmington Fire Departments and Maine Department of Transportation. Maine DEP also responded to the crash site due to fuel that had spilled from the logging truck.

The State Police Commercial Vehicle Unit and a State Police Reconstructionist responded to the scene. Route 4 in Strong was down to one lane during the investigation for several hours on Tuesday. Both vehicles had to be towed away due to extensive damage.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Moss said.