Police have shut down one lane of the Maine Turnpike at mile 59 after a tractor-trailer truck loaded with fertilizer rolled over in the southbound lanes at 11 a.m. Wednesday when the driver dropped his cell phone.
Kevin Burns, 35 of Atlanta, Georgia, was hauling a three-quarters of a load of bagged fertilizer from a Scott facility in Medway when he dropped his cellphone as he was exiting the turnpike at the Cumberland service area, said Trooper Anthony Keim.
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When Burns reached down to get his phone, the truck hit and went over the guardrail, sliding 20 feet down an embankment.
“It came to rest up against a row of trees which prevented him from rolling into a swamp,” Keim said.
The crash did not spill the fertilizer.
Keim did not issue Burns a citation but the State Police commercial vehicle enforcement unit was investigating the crash further, he said.
Shortly before 1 p.m., crews were offloading the truck’s fuel. Then, they planned to lash straps to the truck and pull it upright, he said.
The crash occurred between mile 63 in Gray and mile 53 in Falmouth. The Maine Turnpike Authority said motorists should expect moderate delays and approach the area cautiously.
Burns complained of back pain but did not require medical attention.
David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:dhench@mainetoday.comTwitter: @Mainehenchman
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