CUMBERLAND, Maine – A Lewiston man has been cited after allegedly falling asleep behind the wheel and striking a Maine Turnpike Authority maintenance vehicle Friday morning on the Maine Turnpike, sending a roadside worker to the hospital with minor injuries.
According to Maine State Police, the crash occurred at approximately 9:07 a.m. on Friday, April 3, 2026, on southbound Interstate 95 near mile marker 57 in Cumberland.
Authorities said a Maine Turnpike Authority maintenance employee had just completed roadside debris cleanup and had entered his truck when the collision occurred.
Troopers responding to the scene found a 2023 white Toyota Corolla with significant front-end damage blocking the right lane. The maintenance vehicle, a green 2020 GMC pickup truck, was located in a ditch and had sustained extensive rear-end damage.
Police identified the Corolla’s driver as 26-year-old Eric Sullivan of Lewiston.
A preliminary investigation indicates Sullivan may have fallen asleep while traveling in the right lane, veered into the breakdown lane, and collided with the maintenance vehicle, which had its green and amber warning lights activated at the time of the crash.
The maintenance employee, 61-year-old Robert Brown of Poland, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland for treatment. Sullivan was not injured in the crash.
Traffic on the southbound side of the Turnpike was reduced to one lane for nearly an hour as crews worked to clear the scene.
Sullivan was cited for Driving to Endanger and additional motor vehicle violations, according to police.
The crash remains under investigation.
