BRUNSWICK, Maine — A commercial box truck carrying live lobsters slammed into a slowed or stopped car on Route 1 southbound Wednesday morning, triggering a dramatic crash that left three people injured, one seriously.
The crash closed Route 1 southbound for about 4 1/2 hours, Brunswick Police Chief Scott Stewart said.
Police went to Route 1 between the Topsham Bypass and Route 1 just after 8 a.m. and found six vehicles had been involved in the crash.
Police say a 2020 Freightliner box truck driven by Chenda Douer, 48, of Portland, collided with a Honda Civic that had stopped or slowed in traffic in the southbound passing lane of Route 1.
Bianca, McKay, 23, of Boothbay, the driver of the Civic, suffered life-threatening injuries and had to be extricated from her car. She was taken by LifeFlight of Maine to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
Her condition was not immediately available.
The initial collision pushed the Civic under a 2019 Dodge Caravan driven by 71-year-old Gordon Beaupre of Caribou. A "chain reaction" led to three other vehicles being struck: a 2014 BMW X3 driven by Collen Calder, 36, of Portland; a 2014 Ford Focus driven by William Whyte, 75, of Leesburg, Va.; and a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado driven by Mary Ellen McPhee, 66, of Pembroke, Mass.
Two of the other drivers were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries, and were later released, Stewart said.
The Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Unit assisted with the investigation of the box truck, and Maine Marine Patrol personnel helped transfer the lobsters to another refrigerated truck.
Topsham and West Bath fire departments helped with extrication. The Maine Department of Transportation and Topsham Police Department assisted with traffic diversion.
The crash remains under investigation, Stewart said.