Authorities Say New Hampshire Man Who Drove The Wrong Way On Turnpike And Crashed Car Was Intoxicated

A man authorities say drove the wrong way on the Maine Turnpike in the early hours of Sunday morning, near Kennebunk, and then ended up in the median, has been arrested.

Officials with the Maine Department of Public Safety say a 22-year-old man from New Hampshire named Lester Medina was arrested shortly after 1 AM on December 14th and taken to the York County jail.
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This all followed a situation Maine State Police State Troopers were responding to in the southbound lane near mile marker 24. They were called after motorists reported someone was driving northbound in the wrong lane.

"A subsequent 911 call reported that the vehicle, a white 2023 Honda Civic, had crashed into the median at mile marker 24 in Kennebunk. Troopers responded and located the vehicle. The operator was not injured but was evaluated at the scene by Kennebunk Rescue. The operator showed signs of impairment and was placed under arrest."

After his arrest, Medina was charged with Criminal OUI, Driving to Endanger, and Aggravated Reckless Conduct.

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Thankfully, no one else was injured during the incident, which remains under investigation. Both southbound lanes were closed for a short time as authorities looked into the matter.

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According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, impairment and age are the two leading causes of wrong-way fatalities on the nation's roadways.

"Wrong-way driving crashes are rare, but typically have more severe safety outcomes when they occur. Previous AAA Foundation work examined fatal wrong-way driving crashes on limited access highways in the years 2010-2018. Since that report was published, fatal wrong-way crashes have increased at a higher rate than fatal crashes overall. The previous report examined a variety of driver, vehicle, and environmental risk factors, and found alcohol impairment and older age to be factors that increased the odds of being a wrong-way driver in a fatal crash. "

Authorities are still investigating this incident.