Gray, ME – Three people were hospitalized after a single-vehicle crash on the Maine Turnpike near Gray Sunday afternoon, where passing motorists and off-duty emergency responders stopped to help.
According to Maine State Police, troopers responded at approximately 4 p.m. Sunday to the southbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike near mile marker 66 in Gray, roughly 20 miles north of Portland.
Investigators said a 33-year-old Portland woman was driving a white 2018 Nissan Rogue southbound when she pulled onto the highway shoulder near mile 66.
Police said the driver then attempted to merge back into traffic but allegedly overcorrected while accelerating and lost control of the SUV. The Nissan crossed into the median and struck the median guardrail.
The driver and two passengers were transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland with injuries described by police as non-life-threatening.
Several motorists stopped immediately after the crash to provide assistance, authorities said. Within minutes, off-duty firefighters, EMTs and a doctor also stopped and rendered aid before or alongside arriving emergency crews.
Maine State Police publicly thanked the motorists and off-duty responders who helped at the scene.
New Gloucester Fire/EMS, Auburn Fire/EMS and the Maine Turnpike Authority assisted Maine State Police during the response.
The crash remained under investigation Monday. Police did not immediately provide additional details about what may have caused the driver to initially pull onto the shoulder or whether the wreck caused significant traffic delays on the southbound Turnpike.
