BURNHAM — A head-on collision caused by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 95 claimed the life of an elderly man and left another injured on Dec. 31.
Maine State Police received calls around 11 a.m. about a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes near mile 142.
Minutes later, a crash was reported at mile 147 in Pittsfield involving the wrong-way driver and another vehicle.
The wrong-way driver, identified as 82-year-old Ivan Cunningham of Corinna, was behind the wheel of a 2013 Ford Focus when he collided head-on with a 2023 Ford F-150, driven by 27-year-old Nathaniel Blanchard of Stetson.
Cunningham was pronounced dead at the scene.
Blanchard sustained injuries in the crash and was airlifted to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
His injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening.
Following the accident, the Maine Department of Transportation and State Police closed the southbound lanes of I-95 at Exit 150, redirecting traffic to facilitate the arrival of rescue personnel.
The roadway was reopened about two hours later after a State Police Reconstruction team and Troop I concluded their preliminary investigation into the incident.
