Semi carrying load of wine sideswipes turnpike maintenance truck, rolls over

The semi carrying a load of wine spilled its load in a ditch along the highway. (Maine State Police photo)

LITCHFIELD, Maine - A Maine Turnpike worker escaped serious injury Thursday when a tracker trailer loaded with wine sideswiped a turnpike truck.

The crash occurred around at 9:45 a.m. at Mile Marker 92 North in Litchfield.

State Police say the driver and another worker from the turnpike truck had exited the vehicle to retrieve construction signs when the accident occurred, and the turnpike truck was parked in the breakdown lane with amber lights flashing.

The crew had just finished picking up trash for the day when the northbound tractor-trailer drifted into the breakdown lane hitting the rumble strip. The noise alerted the workers who were able to get into the ditch safely. The tractor-trailer sideswiped the pickup and then continued into the ditch where the truck rolled over and spilled its load.

The tractor trailer driver was identified as William Rodney Harrington, 59, of Hartford Conn.

A worker from the turnpike crew, Michael Robinson, 43, was hit in the leg from flying debris and treated at a local hospital.

Harrington was also treated for minor injuries at the hospital. He was summonsed for a logbook violation and failure to move over.