TURNER — A two-vehicle collision involving a commercial truck and a pickup closed a section of Route 4 for more than five hours Tuesday morning after one of the vehicles caught fire.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office received multiple 911 calls at approximately 7:41 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7, reporting the crash in front of Northeastern Firearms at 868 Auburn Road.
Deputies and Turner Fire-Rescue arrived to find a commercial vehicle fully engulfed in flames.
According to preliminary investigation, a black 2023 Chevrolet pickup truck operated by Fox Keim, 51, of Cornish, was traveling northbound when it crossed the centerline.
The pickup, registered to Marden’s Inc. of Winslow, collided with a southbound gray Western Star tractor trailer operated by Roger Eastman, 82, of Milan, New Hampshire.
The impact ruptured the commercial vehicle’s fuel tank, igniting a fire that fully consumed the tractor trailer.
Both vehicles sustained significant damage and are considered total losses.
Keim was extricated from his vehicle, and both drivers were transported by Turner Rescue to Central Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection responded to assist with containment and cleanup of significant fuel spillage at the scene.
Fire departments from Auburn, Greene, Leeds, and Livermore provided mutual aid during the incident.
Route 4, between Lower Street and County Road, was closed until approximately 1:11 p.m. while emergency crews worked to clear the scene.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the cause of the crash.
