Tractor-Trailer Driver Arrested after Crash, Augusta, Maine

A 61-year-old tractor trailer driver was arrested Friday for Operating Under the Influence of Drugs, Driving to Endanger, and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine after his truck crashed on I-95.

The crash happened around 7:51 a.m. in the northbound lanes near mile marker 115 in Augusta, said Shannon Moss, Public Information Officer, Maine Department of Public Safety. The tractor-trailer rolled over after going off the right side of the road. The vehicle rolled on its side when it hit rock ledges and came to rest with part of the cab in the right lane of I-95.

Miles McIntyre from Windsor, California was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries, said Moss.

Police investigated and determined the crash was a result of driver fatigue. Troopers found narcotics and seized the drugs. McIntyre was evaluated by a Maine State Police Drug Recognition Expert. He was deemed impaired and unsafe to drive the rig. He was charged and arrested.

Moss said the charges will be reviewed by the persecution at the  Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office.

McIntyre was hauling Pop Tarts and Cheez-Its in the trailer. The food was inspected by the Maine Department of Agriculture to determine if it was safe for consumption.

The Maine Department of Transportation opened detours for traffic to be diverted from Interstate 95 to Route 104 off Exit 113. Crews cleaned up the scene as that part of the roadway was shut down completely for about an hour. Traffic was then limited to one lane for three hours and was reopened to all traffic, said Moss.