Driver Escapes Crash on I-95 That Spills 45 Tons of Lumber

State police say a tractor trailer loaded with 90,000 pounds of lumber went off Interstate 95 in Sidney early Wednesday morning after the driver apparently fell asleep.

The truck, driven by 32-year-old John Rancourt of Jay, went off the northbound lanes at 6 a.m., according to Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland.  Nearly all of the lumber broke loose from the trailer when it slammed into a rock ledge.

The truck and trailer were demolished, but Rancourt escaped unharmed, McCausland said.  The travel lane was shut down while the wood was recovered and the wreckage was removed from along the highway. The lane reopened just after noon on Wednesday.

Maine State Troopers reviewed the driver’s commercial paperwork and no violations were found, McCausland said.