A Maine State Police trooper suffered broken ribs and neck and leg injuries when his cruiser was rear-ended by a tractor trailer on Interstate 295 in Richmond around 9:45 a.m. Thursday morning.
Police said Trooper Greg Stevens - a 17-year state police veteran - suffered broken ribs and neck and leg injuries but was able to walk away from the wreck. He was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland for treatment. His cruiser was destroyed in the crash.
State police said Stevens' cruiser was in the breakdown lane with its blue lights on when it was rear-ended by a tractor trailer just north of the Richmond exit on the northbound side. The tractor trailer caught fire and ended up in the median. The truck was destroyed, but the driver, Gusan Yedic, 56, of Yorktown Heights, New York, was not injured.
Yedic was cited for failing to move over for an emergency vehicle.
Northbound lanes were shut down for almost two hours, but one lane reopened around 11:30. The burned out tractor trailer is slated to be removed from the median on Thursday afternoon, and traffic will be reduced to one lane. Motorists heading north are urged to detour to Route 201 or the Maine Turnpike to avoid backups..
