A 17-year-old was seriously injured and four other people were injured in a multi-vehicle, multi-stage crash on Friday night in Richmond.
The initial two-vehicle crash occurred in the northbound lane of I-295 at around 9:25 p.m., according to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Steven Trask, 39, of Topsham had been northbound in a Nissan Altima before sideswiping the trailer unit of a tractor trailer. Trask lost control of the Altima, and came to rest in the median.
Trask showed signs of driving while under the influence of alcohol, but was not seriously injured. He was charged with Operating Under the Influence after Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s deputies opened an investigation into the crash.
Just after the initial crash occurred, a lull in traffic led to another crash. A Honda Accord that had slowed down near the initial crash was struck from behind by a Subaru Impreza. The Impreza was then struck behind by a Toyota Camry that had been traveling at highway speeds, according to Moss.
The Impreza was pushed off the road into the median with severe damage to the rear bumper, while the Camry came to a stop in the roadway after the front end of the vehicle was seriously damaged.
Three occupants of the Subaru Impreza received minor injuries, while a 17-year-old who had been in the backseat received serious injuries. The teenager was transported to a local hospital.
The driver of the Toyota Camry was treated at the scene for minor injuries, Moss said.
Interstate 295 northbound was shut down for around 30 minutes as emergency personnel responded to the crash.
The crashes remain under investigation.
