PITTSFIELD — An Augusta man was arrested Monday after he drove onto a highway divider on Interstate 95 in Pittsfield, causing a three-vehicle crash that injured two people, according to officials.
Larry DiPietro, 75, was northbound on I-95 at about 11:45 a.m. Monday when he slowed his vehicle — a gray sedan — at mile 146 and attempted to illegally enter a highway divider, also known as a crossover, from the driving lane, according to Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
DiPietro’s actions caused three vehicles behind him to collide as drivers attempted to avoid him, Moss said. Two people, not including DiPietro, suffered minor injuries in the crash and were taken to a nearby hospital.
The Maine State Police arrested DiPietro on a charge of driving to endanger, according to Moss.
“The Maine State Police would like to remind drivers that using crossovers is not permitted for any reason whatsoever,” Moss said. “It is illegal and highly dangerous to everyone driving on the interstate.”
Traffic was not delayed significantly due to the crash, Moss said, because state police had closed only one lane on I-95.
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