A Westbrook man was flown by helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston on Tuesday where he was listed this morning in serious condition after the van he was driving south on Interstate 295 spun out of control, launching him from the passenger-side after the door was ripped open.

Suffering multiple injuries in the single-vehicle crash was Larry Huff, 67, of Westbrook, according to a press release issued by Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. A passenger, 31- year-old Haze McDougal of Portland, was wearing his seat belt, according to McCausland, was not ejected and suffered only minor injuries.

The crash was reported at 12:17 p.m. on I-295 southbound near mile marker 36. Maine State Trooper Christopher Rogers said Huff was driving in the right-hand lane, started to turn into the passing lane but cut back into the right lane when he realized there was already a vehicle there. During this maneuver the van entered the breakdown lane, Rogers said, so Huff cut the wheel hard to the left, started to lose control and overcorrected — causing the van to spin counter-clockwise. The van, facing northbound now in the southbound lane, moved backward into the guardrail, at which time the passenger-side door got caught in the guardrail, causing the door to get peeled wide open. The impact with the guardrail jarred Huff from the driver’s seat and partially onto the passenger seat. As the vehicle did one more quick spin with the door open, Huff was ejected out the passenger side.

Rogers said Huff landed on pavement and slid into the grass alongside the road, resulting in road rash on his body. Huff was not wearing a seat belt and if he had been, Rogers said his injuries likely would have been far less serious. Rogers said Huff is a longtime volunteer driver for the Regional Transportation Program out of Portland.

The crash was initially reported as a rollover, Rogers said, but the Chevrolet van instead spun 360 degrees with no indication it ever rolled despite the insistence by eye witnesses that it did. Although Rogers was told Huff was not initially conscious, he was breathing and when Rogers arrived, he was able to talk briefly to Huff, who had no recollection of what had happened.

North East Mobile Health Services responded with two ambulances — one attending to Huff until the LifeFlight helicopter landed at the scene, and a second North East ambulance crew saw to McDougal. McDougal was transported to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick where a spokesman said this morning he was treated and released.

Bowdoinham Fire Chief Jack Tourtelotte said the Life- Flight helicopter came from Bangor. The highway, which had been reduced to one lane, was shut down for LifeFlight to land and crews detoured traffic during this time down Route 201 in Topsham. Bowdoinham,

Richmond and Bowdoin fire departments responded along with Bowdoinham EMS, Tourtelotte said. The van, which came to rest along the right side of the road on the edge of woods, was towed by Rick’s Towing.

Rogers said Trooper Kyle Pelletier assisted on scene and a deputy from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff ’s Department and Topsham Police Department also responded. He estimated the scene cleared by 2 p.m.

Ian Alexander of the Richmond Fire Department was the first of the firefighters to arrive on scene and said he saw a couple of people huddled around a man. One of the women helping Huff told him she is a doctor from New York, and a second good Samaritan said she is a trauma doctor. Alexander said they were in Maine on vacation. Another young woman who was helping is in the Army and had a medical kit with her and clearly had medical training.

Huff was unresponsive following the crash, and Alexander, estimating they may have tended to the man as long as 10 minutes before he arrived, said he believes the three helped save Huff ’s life. The three women worked together, “and those ladies stayed the whole time until he was airlifted.”

Rogers said charges could be pending but this had yet to be determined Tuesday.