TURNER — A tractor-trailer was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning after a collision with a pickup on Route 4.
Responding to multiple 911 calls, Androscoggin County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at 868 Auburn Road/Route 4 around 7:41 a.m. to find leaking diesel fuel spill had sparked a fire that engulfed the big rig, according to a Sheriff’s Office Facebook post.
Fox Kein, 51, of Cornish was driving his 2023 Chevrolet pickup truck north on the road when he crossed the centerline and collided with a Western Star tractor-trailer driven by Roger Eastman, 82, of Milan, New Hampshire, the post said.
Both drivers were transported to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston with injuries not considered life-threatening, the Facebook post said.
“The impact caused the commercial vehicle’s fuel tank to rupture, igniting a fire that fully consumed the tractor-trailer,” the post said, adding that both vehicles were total losses.
Firefighters were able to put out the blaze as traffic on Route 4 was closed off between County Road and Lower Street for about five-and-a-half hours.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was called to the scene to clean up the diesel spill.
Deputies, emergency personnel and fire departments from Auburn, Greene, Leeds and Livermore responded to the scene ,the post said.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing and further details were unavailable.
Sun Journal staff photographer Russ Dillingham contributed to this story.