State troopers pursued an erratic driver and responded to two related crashes on Interstate 295 on Monday afternoon, according to a news release.
Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls shortly after 4 p.m. about an erratic driver in the northbound lane near Freeport, said Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
A state trooper spotted the Chevy pickup truck at 4:08 p.m. near Exit 22 and attempted to stop the vehicle using his emergency lights and siren. Moss said the vehicle did not respond, so the trooper pursued the truck until it came to a stop north of Exit 28.
“The male operator was found to be elderly, and suffering from a medical/mental health event,” Moss said in a news release. “An adverse driving report will be filed with the State Bureau of Motor Vehicles.”
Moss did not identify the driver.
The incident caused a traffic backup, and troopers responded to two separate secondary crashes involving a total of six vehicles. Moss said there were “minor injuries.” One lane was closed for approximately 35 minutes while vehicles were removed.
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