MEMORANDUM To: Maine – New Hampshire Traffic Incident Management Group From: Eric Sanderson – Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission Date: December 13, 2018 RE: After Action Report – Crash on Interstate 295 at Mile 9 southbound A Post-Incident Review meeting was held on December 10, 2018 at the Maine Turnpike Authority. Departments and agencies in attendance included: Maine State Police, Troop B Portland Fire Department Portland Police (2) Maine Department of Environmental Protection Stewart’s Trucking MaineDOT (3) Clean Harbors (2) Maine Turnpike Authority (2) Greater Portland Council of Governments Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (facilitating) Date & Time of Incident: October 26, 2018 at approximately 1100. Weather: Dry and clear at time of incident Type of Incident: o 1 tank truck, containing approximately 8,000 gallons of milk. o Driver of truck apparently fell asleep, struck the guardrail and signage on right side of I- 295 southbound approaching a curve, Tank truck was unable to correct itself upon striking the guard rail. o Overcorrection by the driver resulted in the truck flipping over, and down the embankment. Summary of Events: - First calls that were received described a multiple vehicle collision on Tukey’s Bridge. - Portland Fire Department responded to the bridge with water rescue equipment expecting a water extraction. Upon discovering no crash, Portland Police Department located the crash just south of the Falmouth/Portland line of Interstate 295 (I-295) southbound. - The driver of the truck was respondent to Portland Police questions, but had concern over a potential broken back or leg. Several good Samaritans helped extricate him and an ambulance brought him to MaineMed. After Action Report for October 2, 2018 on Maine Turnpike – At Exit 32 southbound off ramp Page 1 - Portland Police Department, Maine State Police, and Maine DEP responded, initially thinking the truck contained oil. Portland Fire Department were able to use a median cross over several hundred feet north of the incident site and head southbound toward the incident. - MaineDOT responded at approximately 1130, at this time Portland Police had closed the right lane and were transitioning incident control to Maine State Police. - A discussion occurred between responders of whether to clear the incident, or just close one lane until rush hour traffic had passed, possible leaving the truck until later in the day. Quick responder times resulted in the decision to just get the incident cleaned up immediately. - Upon discussion between MaineDOT and State Police, I-295 southbound was closed at Exit 11/Falmouth Spur and traffic was diverted onto the spur. The Maine Turnpike Authority and MaineDOT used several VMS signs to indicate to drivers there was an incident ahead. MTA also used VMS signs at mile 108 of the Maine Turnpike to alert drivers heading southbound to avoid I-295. Not all ITS/VMS signs on I-295 north of the incident were used. Some signs only indicated that there was a “crash ahead”, not noting the full road closure. - MaineDOT blocked median crossovers and notified MTA of the large influx of vehicles that would be on the Falmouth Spur. - DEP searched for an empty, cleaned oil truck on a Friday afternoon (difficult) to drain the milk for proper disposal at Portland treatment plant. All State Diesel handled draining diesel and Clean Harbors handled draining the milk. - After the initial scene sizeup, a heavy wrecker was requested. Stewart’s trucking was subsequently called by MaineDOT. - As the queue got longer, Clean Harbors and MaineDOT had trouble accessing the incident. By chance, they hooked up with a State Police Trooper who escorted them to the incident. Based on the responders’ limited knowledge of traffic beyond the immediate vicinity of the incident, the best way to get to the incident was not known. Maine DEP coordinated with Stewart’s Trucking and MaineDOT regarding potential routes, but eventually the coincidental police escort got the responders and Clean Harbors to the scene. - Upon arriving to the scene, the pump crew (one person) was hesitant to start pumping from the truck because of its location down a steep embankment. It was also pointed out that clearer instructions should have been provided. He had trouble getting the hose down the embankment by himself, but several people on scene assisted. If the tank covers were intact, incident would have taken much longer to clear as a hole would need to be cut in the tank before extrication. - The wrecker eventually needed both lanes for stabilization/support while recovering the tank truck. One lane was left open to get vehicles in queue through the incident area. - Maine State Police observed, and everyone else agreed, that shutting down the southbound lanes was necessary to provide a safe incident scene for all involved. - As the recovery went on, responders realized it would not be over before nightfall. Several responders went to a local camp to get floodlights, which were used through the end of the process. - Throughout the incident, many drivers were slowing down in the northbound lane to look at the crash. One tow truck driver even came to a complete stop in Lane 1 to take pictures. This driver was pursued by Maine Sate Police and issued a fine. The discussion around this issue and After Action Report for October 2, 2018 on Maine Turnpike – At Exit 32 southbound off ramp Page 2 “rubbernecking” revolved around divider screens. MTA has several at a Cumberland facility, and MaineDOT exhibited some last year, but it is not now known if any were purchased. - Guard rail and barriers along curve were replaced immediately by Main Line Fence after truck was brought onto roadway. This took approximately 30-60 minutes. - Excess debris from the incident (that was off of the roadway) was cleared by a crew on Monday morning, to prevent additional delays on Friday night. - The roadway was opened to traffic and all units were clear at 2120. - Overall, everything went very well despite the severity of the crash and the difficulty in extracting the vehicle. - It was unclear whether a Command Post was established, or whether it was needed. Overall everything worked smoothly, but the incident could have benefited from Command that was removed from the “hands on” work that was going on. Recommendations - Coordinate with Steve Landry and MaineDOT regarding privacy screens. - Select one person to give instructions to responders (pump personnel, towing/recovery etc.). - Include responding marine patrol officer in review. - Confirm with the Turnpike Authority and MaineDOT that VMS/ITS signs read appropriately (closure vs. crash ahead). - Utilize and expand signs further in advance of incident (giving drivers more than a few miles to react). - Evaluate need for immediate incident cleanup at each scene (depending on time of incident), including debris off of roadway. - Work with Clean Harbors on future incidents to provide information regarding the incident scene and location of the vehicle, and whether more than one person should be dispatched for pump outs, etc. After Action Report for October 2, 2018 on Maine Turnpike – At Exit 32 southbound off ramp Page 3 .