A woman has been arrested for intentionally crashing into a semi truck on U.S. Rt 1 in Woolwich, Maine on Thursday evening.
Police say the driver of a Ford Focus intentionally veered into oncoming traffic, in front of a 2008 Peterbilt truck at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and George Wright Road around 4 p.m.
The driver of the truck, 66-year-old Robert Martin, took immediate action, and swerved into a guardrail in order to prevent a head-on collision. The truck belonged to New Hampshire trucking company Jay Maholtz Trucking. It was hauling 34 tons of powdered cement.
“The tractor-trailer was traveling south on U.S. Rt. 1 when the Ford Focus, traveling north, veered directly into its path,” Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said. “The truck driver made every attempt to avoid the collision and ended up wedged against a line of guardrails.”
The woman, 36-year-old Sandra Francis, was arrested and charged with Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon, Operating Under the Influence and Driving to Endanger.
Police praised the truck driver and said his actions likely prevented a fatality. They also credited him with keeping his rig from falling into a steep ditch on the side of the road.
Sandra Francis will be arraigned on Jan. 10, 2017 in West Bath District Court.