Two hospitalized as Jeep, oil truck collide

ELLSWORTH – A car crashed into the side of an oil truck on Route 1 near the Orland-Ellsworth line late Tuesday afternoon, sending two people to the hospital.

The car’s driver, John Dunn, 56, of Ellsworth, was traveling west on Route 1 in Ellsworth when his vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, crossed the centerline and struck the tanker.

The oil truck was driven by Todd Kienow, 32, of Orland, said Officer Bart Tokas of the Ellsworth Police Department.

The Jeep skidded down the road and came to rest along the guardrail just over the town line in Orland.

Dunn had multiple broken bones and possible internal injuries.

The only passenger in his car, his wife, Lois, 54, also suffered undetermined injuries in the accident. Both were taken by ambulance to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Tokas did not have information on their condition Tuesday night.

Kienow was not injured in the collision.

Based on comments Dunn made to rescue workers at the scene, police are not treating the crash as an accident, Tokas said.

Because he had not spoken with Dunn or his wife, Tokas declined to discuss the possible cause of the collision.

Tokas planned to interview the two at the hospital Tuesday night and the incident remains under investigation.

The accident caused considerable damage to the Jeep and the oil truck. A small amount of fluid leaked from the tractor-trailer, which is owned by the Irving Oil Corp., but the crash did not damage the oil tank itself, Tokas said.

The rear tires of the tractor-trailer were damaged and crews were expected to repair them before the vehicle could be moved.

Irving representatives were deciding Tuesday night whether to unload the tanker before moving it.

The collision blocked Route 1 for several hours and emergency workers diverted traffic around the accident scene.