SIDNEY — The driver of a tractor-trailer that went off Interstate 95 early Wednesday morning and lost most of a load of 90,000 pounds of lumber, some of which went through his truck’s cab inches from his head, escaped uninjured.

One northbound lane of Interstate 95, near mile 115 in Sidney, was closed Wednesday morning as a large crew worked to clean up the lumber and remove the crashed truck, which police said was totaled.

The closed lane reopened to traffic just after noon.

The driver, John Rancourt, 32, of Jay, was evaluated by Augusta Fire and Rescue paramedics but was uninjured, much to the surprise of public safety officials.

“He was, somehow, not injured at all,” said Maine State Police Trooper Joseph Chretien. “He walked away without a scratch. It’s amazing he didn’t get hurt.”

Photographs provided by Augusta Fire show some large pieces of lumber from the load sticking into and through the cab of the truck, right behind the driver’s seat. The truck and surrounding area was covered in finished lumber, the rig’s engine area mangled.

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Chretien said Rancourt was traveling northbound when the flatbed tractor-trailer left the road, hit a rock ledge and ended up down in a ditch. About 80 percent of the large load of lumber dislodged from the trailer.

Fire crews responded to Interstate 95 north of Augusta about 5:45 a.m. Wednesday for the crash. Department officials, on the department’s Facebook page, said the driver is lucky to be alive.

Midmorning Wednesday, traffic was backed up to just north of exit 113 in Augusta. Traffic was not stopped, but was moving slowly, past the accident.

A large cleanup of the scene was required because of the amount of lumber.

Chretien said the driver reported that a vehicle passed him, which required him to swerve, but the trooper said other witnesses didn’t see another vehicle involved. Police suspect the driver may have fallen asleep.

Rancourt was wearing his seat belt, police said.

No charges have been filed. Police said they reviewed Rancourt’s commercial truck paperwork and found no violations.

Equipment including a logging truck and state Department of Transportation workers were on the scene to help remove the lumber, and truck, Wednesday morning.


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