State police say driver fatigue and inattention are to blame for a multi-vehicle crash that shut down a stretch of the Maine Turnpike southbound on Friday night.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, a man driving a U-Haul caused a serious chain reaction crash in Scarborough that shut down all three southbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike for 3 1/2 hours.
State police said traffic was already congested in the area due to other crashes when the U-Haul, driven by 59-year-old Jason McAvoy, of Old Orchard Beach, collided with a tanker truck. The force of that collision propelled the tanker forward, striking a Subaru. This caused a chain reaction, resulting in the Subaru rear-ending a Dodge Ram,
When troopers arrived, they found McAvoy trapped inside the U-Haul. Several area fire departments and towing companies helped remove him from the vehicle, and he was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland while the other drivers received treatment at the scene. McAvoy suffered broken bones but is expected to survive.
Following an investigation, state police said they determined that driver fatigue and inattention are the main contributing factors to the crash. State police said the case will be submitted to the York County District Attorney's Office for review of any potential charges.
