WEST GARDINER — The person killed in a crash at the West Gardiner toll plaza in November has been identified by officials as a Blue Hill man.
Lucas Yurchick, 40, was killed in a vehicle crash shortly after 2 p.m. Nov. 20 at the southbound toll booths on Interstate 95, where emergency vehicles found a vehicle engulfed in flames.
The investigation by the Maine State Police indicates the vehicle, either a minivan or a sport utility vehicle, was southbound when it crashed into a guardrail, redirected back onto the highway and then struck the center pylon at the toll plaza, causing the vehicle to burst into flames.
The vehicle’s sole occupant — now identified as Yurchick — was declared dead at the scene. The cause and manner of Yurchick’s death are pending further studies at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
A celebration of life for Yurchick will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Brooksville Community Center. A gofundme campaign has been launched to raise money for funeral expenses.
The crash led authorities to close one land of the southbound interstate during the afternoon.