Tractor Trailer Hit State Police Trooper, Jeep on I95 in Kittery

A scary crash on I-95 in Kittery involved a tractor-trailer that struck a Maine State Police cruiser and then a Jeep containing a family of four.

How Did the Crash Happen?

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson says the incident happened at approximately 9:20 Wednesday morning. Maine State Police Trooper Robert Flynn was stopped near mile marker 1 in the southbound breakdown lane of I-95 in Kittery behind a flatbed truck that was being towed for a mechanical issue. The blue emergency lights on Trooper Flynn's vehicle were activated. The driver of the National Towing flatbed was underneath the truck, trying to fix the mechanical issue.

Suddenly, a tractor-trailer driven by 52-year-old Johnny Rogers of Canastota, New York drifted into the breakdown lane and struck Trooper Flynn's cruiser. The tractor-trailer then veered back into the travel lanes, ending up in the far-left lane where it struck and pinned a Jeep Cherokee against the concrete barrier in the median. The Jeep contained a husband and wife and their two children.

Was Anyone Hurt?

The National Towing driving suffered no injuries in the crash. Trooper Flynn and the family from the Jeep suffered minor injuries and were evaluated at the Portsmouth Regional Hospital. The driver of the flatbed truck had exited his vehicle while it was being worked on and was struck by a piece of debris from the police cruiser. That driver is being evaluated for what are believed to be minor injuries.

Is the Tractor-Trailer Driver Facing Charges?

Rogers is charged with failure to move over for an emergency vehicle and distracted driving.

Several lanes of traffic were shut down while the vehicles were removed.