After dislodging from the pickup truck, the tire jumped the median guardrail and struck a car traveling in the opposite direction, killing the driver, police said.
GRAY, Maine — An investigation is underway into a fatal crash that happened on Interstate 95 near Gray on Monday morning.
Maine State Police responded to the scene on the Gray-Cumberland line around 11:30 a.m., according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
An initial investigation showed a 2021 GMC Sierra pickup truck towing a camper trailer was traveling northbound when the driver's side rear truck tire became dislodged. The tire jumped the median guardrail and struck a 2018 Mercedes sedan traveling southbound, according to Moss.
The driver of the Mercedes, 49-year-old Justin Nsenga of Old Orchard Beach, died at the scene, the release stated.
The driver of the pickup truck, 43-year-old Jean-Francois Chartrand of Saint-Hubert, Quebec, and his four passengers were not injured in the incident, Moss said.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to call the Augusta Regional Communications Center at 207-642-7076 and ask for Trooper Tom Welch.
While this crash was being investigated, a second crash occurred southbound on I-95 when 31-year-old motorcyclist Tiffany Bowdoen of South Paris lost control in the slowing traffic and skidded before coming to a stop on the roadway. She was taken to Maine Medical Center for injuries not considered life-threatening, Moss stated in the release.
The crashes are being investigated by Maine State Police Troop G and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit (CVEU).