CHAIN OF PONDS TOWNSHIP — The driver of a fuel truck, one of two trucks involved in a collision Monday morning, died in the accident on Route 27, about 10 minutes south of the Canadian border, Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. wrote in an email.
Gregory Hutchinson, 51, of Carthage, was killed instantly.
Hutchinson was driving an International fuel truck belonging to Dead River Company and was traveling north, Nichols wrote. Simultaneously an empty, 2010 Peterbuilt tractor-trailer truck owned by Nicols Bros Trucking of Mexico was traveling south and was driven by Jeffrey Lang, 70, of Rumford, he wrote.
The roads had received recent snowfall and as both vehicles approached each other on a curve the empty trailer lost traction and jackknifed, and slid into the travel lane of the northbound fuel truck.
The case is still under investigation. Deputy Andrew Morgan is the primary investigator.
The fuel truck was loaded with 2,000 gallons of oil and 800 gallons of kerosene, and its tank ruptured in the crash, he wrote. There was no fire.
Deputies from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office got a report of the crash at 9:27 a.m.
They discovered that a fuel truck and an empty tractor-trailer collided as they passed each other, Nichols wrote.
The call was initially made via radio by a trucker from another company who came upon the scene, he said.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents were first on the scene. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was responding.
Eustis and Rangeley fire rescue departments also responded, as well as Lt. David Rackliffe, Deputy Brian McCormick and Deputy Andrew Morgan. Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and reconstruction units also went to the scene. And Franklin County Emergency Managment Agency Director Tim Hardy went to the scene to assist with a satellite phone because of the lack of cellphone connectivity in that region.
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