A crash involving a tractor-trailer truck and a passenger car snarled northbound traffic on the Maine Turnpike Wednesday afternoon.

The crash happened about a mile north of Exit 48 in Portland, the Riverside Street exit, which straddles the border between Westbrook and Portland.

Northbound traffic was backed up for at least a mile and several ambulances and fire trucks were sent to the crash site.

David Bergeron, 70, of Auburn was the driver of the Honda sedan. He was transported by ambulance to Maine Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer truck, 61-year-old Wayne Oxton of Unity, was not injured.

Cpl. Fern Cloutier of the Maine State Police said investigators believe Bergeron was in the travel lane of the turnpike when he hit the front section of the tractor-trailer truck, which was in the passing lane. The impact forced Bergeron’s vehicle to slide along the side of the truck before it struck the truck’s rear axle. Both car and truck ended up in the northbound passing lane.

The Honda was destroyed.

Police kept one lane of traffic open after the crash was reported at 3:40 p.m. It took about 90 minutes before police could restore normal northbound traffic flow.

Cloutier, who interviewed Bergeron, said Bergeron does not remember what happened. He has not been charged. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is being asked to contact the Maine State Police at 624-7076.


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