A catastrophic accident transpired on the I-295 in Falmouth, Maine, when a vehicle, moving in the wrong direction on the interstate, collided violently with another. This incident, which transpired on Monday morning, resulted in the loss of two lives, while critically injuring another.
The distress call, made slightly after 10 a.m., brought Maine State Police and local emergency services rushing to the area just before Exit 11 on the I-295 northbound. An official statement from Maine State Police revealed the details of the incident.
Initial investigations disclosed that a Toyota SUV, driven by Nancy Ezhaya, a 72-year-old from Yarmouth, mistakenly entered the Exit 10 northbound off-ramp while driving southbound. This resulted in a direct collision with a Honda SUV, which was heading north.
The Honda SUV was being driven by Allen Apblett, a 61-year-old man from Oklahoma, accompanied by his wife. Ezhaya and Apblett tragically lost their lives at the crash site, according to police reports.
Allen’s wife, Natalie Menzies, 60, was rushed to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where her condition is described as “stable yet critical”.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is set to perform autopsies to gather more insights into the events leading up to the accident and to establish whether Ezhaya was potentially experiencing a medical issue.
The tragic incident led to the closure of the I-295 northbound lanes in Falmouth for about three hours, causing traffic to be rerouted onto Route 1 at Exit 9. The interstate was reopened to traffic around 1:15 p.m.
Chris Costa, from NEWS CENTER Maine, reported seeing two funeral home vans at the crash site. Due to the resultant traffic jam, several people were observed leaving their cars and walking around during the halt.
In a surprising revelation, on Thursday, Maine State Police and Windham police confirmed that just before the fatal I-295 crash, Ezhaya had been implicated in a hit-and-run incident. According to Shannon Moss, spokesperson for Maine’s Department of Public Safety, the hit-and-run incident took place a few minutes before Ezhaya wrongfully entered the interstate.
Moss further confirmed that the vehicle and registration involved in the hit-and-run matched that of Ezhaya’s, a fact subsequently verified by Sgt. Jason Burke of Windham police, who is leading the investigation into the hit-and-run. Both accidents, he confirmed, involved Ezhaya.
Fatal Accident in Casco Results in One Death and One Severe Injury
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a deadly collision that occurred on Tenney Hill Road in Casco. The unfortunate incident transpired before 7 a.m. on Monday, leading to a fatality and a severely injured victim.
The deceased, Dylan Chretien, aged 19 from Bridgton, was proclaimed dead on the scene. Nicholas Centofanti, a 20-year-old resident of Casco, was airlifted to Maine Medical Center for treatment. The fatal accident involved two vehicles, with one veering off the road and colliding with a group of hardwood trees, leading to the serious injuries of both Chretien and Centofanti.
There were eyewitnesses to the tragic event, such as Betty Silver, who heard the crash and came upon the worrying sight of a red Volkswagen flipped over in the middle of the road. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce has dismissed rumors of a drag race leading up to the crash. He confirmed that the second car involved had three passengers, none of whom suffered injuries. As of Thursday morning, Centofanti’s condition was still critical.
Accident in Naples Closes Route 302 and Causes Power Outage
Following an SUV’s collision with a utility pole, a section of Route 302 in Naples had to be closed, leaving more than 1,100 Central Maine Power Co. customers in Harrison and Naples without electricity.
The driver, Ronald Spiller, 58, from Waterford, lost control of his Ford Escape around 8:40 p.m. on Monday, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and strike a utility pole. Authorities from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office believe that the driver’s distraction may have contributed to the accident. This incident led to the closure of Route 302 between Harrison Road and Casco Road, which was reopened by 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
The crash caused wires to fall across the road, making it unsafe for public use until cleared. Reports suggest that the SUV became airbound following the collision, and Spiller had to be rescued from the vehicle. He was assessed at the scene for injuries but did not require hospitalization. Emergency services from the Casco and Naples fire departments responded to the scene.
Deadly Accident in Casco Claims One Life, Leaves Another Critical
