FORT KENT, Maine — Volunteer Fort Kent firefighters rescued a person trapped in his Grand Cherokee SUV and extinguished a raging fireplace burning the cab of a semi after the 2 automobiles collided head-on Monday night on Route 161.
The crash occurred at round 6 p.m. on a bit of Route 161, generally known as Caribou Highway, a number of miles south of downtown Fort Kent. That part of street is the principle route between Fort Kent and Caribou.
Ashton Bernier, 20, of Fort Kent was driving a 2008 tan Grand Cherokee northbound whereas Glenwood McEwen, 69, of Presque Isle was working a 1999 Sterling semi-truck southbound when one of many automobiles crossed the centerline and the 2 crashed head-on, in accordance with Fort Kent Police Chief Michael DeLena.DeLena didn’t say which car crossed as a result of the crash remains to be beneath investigation.
The power of the collision ripped the gas tank off the semi-truck, inflicting it to catch fireplace, Fort Kent Hearth Chief Ed Endee mentioned.
“We had two issues once we bought there,” Endee mentioned. “One individual was trapped in an SUV, and about 200 toes up the street a tractor trailer was burning like loopy beneath the facility traces.”
Firefighters notified Versant Energy to show off energy to the traces till the hearth was extinguished.
The semi, owned by Michaud and Michaud Trucking, was hauling a gravel trailer, which was empty when the 2 automobiles crashed.
Nineteen firefighters responded to the decision with three fireplace engines, the heavy rescue truck and the squad truck, which carried a few of the rescue instruments and tools wanted.
Firefighters eliminated Bernier from his car utilizing a hydraulic extrication device. Ambulance Service Inc. transported Bernier to Northern Maine Medical Heart for therapy of significant however not life-threatening accidents, police mentioned.
Paramedics evaluated McEwen on the scene and decided he had minor accidents. He was not transported to the hospital, police mentioned.
Each the SUV and semi-cab had been destroyed within the crash.
There was additionally a big gas spill within the street from the purpose of influence to the place the truck ended up going into the ditch, Endee mentioned. Maine DOT employees used sand to deal with about 100 toes of roadway affected by the gas spill.
An officer from the Presque Isle Police Division reconstructed the crash. No fees had been filed in opposition to both driver as of Tuesday afternoon.
