The driver of a tractor trailer truck walked away from the vehicle after it veered off the road and tipped over along Interstate 295 Saturday night.

The crash occurred along I-295 southbound in Richmond just prior to the Bowdoinham town line, shortly after 8 p.m.

The 53-foot refrigerated trailer was full of 36-pound boxes of French fries. The trailer split open during the crash, and the boxes spilled out. Firefighters from Richmond and Bowdoinham responding to the scene, two Maine Department of Transportation workers and the crew from KDT Towing in Augusta worked to remove all of the spilled cargo before the truck and trailer could be removed. With the refrigeration compromised, and several boxes contaminated as they lay on the wet ground, the food was condemned and had to be disposed of.

The driver, Charles Ohalloran, 28 of Prince Edward Island, was able to get out of the overturned cab himself before emergency personnel arrived. While state police said Ohalloran was distracted reaching for a water bottle, he told rescue workers he was choking on water which lead to the crash. No charges were pending as of Saturday night. The fries were coming from Canada, transported by New Brunswick-based Midland Transport and was headed to a rest area, said Trooper Nick Gleeson.

Terry Downs, an owner of KDT that responded to recover the truck, said they were sending three flatbed trucks to remove the product so they could then remove the tractor trailer.

Bowdoinham Fire Department cleared the scene at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday and Richmond at around 7:30 a.m.

In May, a tractor trailer truck loaded with potatoes crashed into the median on I-295 southbound in Richmond near exit 43. When a crew attempted to remove the trailer, it broke, spilling potatoes.

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