Two people were killed Friday in a six-vehicle crash that involved a tractor-trailer carrying a load of lumber at the intersection of Route 17 and Fitch Road in Washington.

The tractor-trailer rolled over into a ditch, spilling its load. A burned and charred vehicle was in a field, and a third vehicle was in a gully and could not be seen from the road.

Police and firefighters work at the scene of Friday's crash on Route 17 near Fitch Road in Washington. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

An investigator walks through lumber spilled from a tractor-trailer while recording video of the scene of Friday's crash in Washington. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that two people died in the crash, but their identities were not released.

A Knox County sheriff’s dispatcher received a call about the accident at 4:47 p.m.

WCSH-TV reported that the crash is believed to have been caused by the tractor-trailer. According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, the truck crossed the center line going west on Route 17, corrected, fishtailed, rolled and took out four cars. The truck driver was flown by helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

The two people who died were in separate cars, police say. One car involved caught fire.

As darkness fell, emergency vehicles, including two LifeFlight helicopters, had left the scene. Investigators, including accident reconstructionists, remained. Part of Route 17 near the crash site was expected to be closed for several hours.

Dara Taylor, who lives near the crash site, said she saw two helicopters land in a field off Fitch Road and a number of ambulances heading toward the scene. She said the intersection historically has been the scene of a lot of accidents.

The responding agencies included Knox and Waldo counties’ sheriff’s deputies; Maine State Police; Maine State Police Commercial Enforcement; fire departments from Washington, Somerville, Jefferson and Whitefield; and Union, Waldoboro and Sterling ambulances.

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