Drivers escape injury in 2 truck accidents on I-95

Poor road conditions and unsafe speeds were believed to have caused two separate tractor-trailer accidents on Interstate 95 on Wednesday morning.

By early evening, state police had responded to more than 25 accidents. None of the accidents involved serious injuries and most involved cars sliding or driving off the road.

No one was injured in either accident.

Around 5:30 a.m., 34-year-old Todd Evarts of Colchester, Conn., was driving in the northbound passing lane half a mile north of Exit 43 in Newburgh when he began to drift onto the left shoulder, according to Maine State Trooper Michael Johnston.

Evarts caught some slush, lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road, Johnston said. The truck struck some trees in the median and came to rest partially on its side in the trees, he said.

The truck cab was demolished in the accident and Johnston estimated it was a total loss. Evarts was hauling Filene’s merchandise to Bangor, and the trailer appeared to be fine, Johnston said.

Traffic was backed up for 20-25 minutes.

Two hours later, Johnston responded to a tractor-trailer that had gone off the road in the northbound lane of I-95 just before Exit 51 in Orono.

Around 7:30 a.m., Emilio Lemus of Hialeah, Fla., applied the brakes three-tenths of a mile before the off-ramp, which caused the truck to jackknife and go off the road, Johnston said.

The truck struck some small trees and a snowbank in the median and came to rest almost on its side, he said. The truck cab and two-thirds of the trailer were off the road, although a section of the trailer was in the passing lane.

Traffic was reduced to one lane for more than two hours.

Lemus and his passenger were treated at the scene by Orono fire and rescue personnel and were released with no apparent injuries, Johnston said.

The damage to the truck was estimated at $10,000 to $12,000. Lemus, 23, was hauling plastic packaging material for Layca Inc.