Police: Sleepy Driver Caused Truck Fire on Maine Turnpike

A tractor trailer that hit a guard rail after its driver fell asleep burst into flames early Sunday morning on the Maine Turnpike in Kittery, according to Maine State Police.

Driver Eric Morris, 65, of Portland was hauling bottles of Poland Spring Water in the southbound lanes of I-95 near Exit 3 around 4:10 a.m., according to State Police Spokeswoman Shannon Moss, when the truck rolled over into the center median guardrail before becoming fully engulfed in flames.

No other vehicle was involved and no charges have yet been filed, according to Moss.

The crash closed the southbound lanes from the area of the York toll plaza for several hours.

Morris was able to get out of the truck on his own and was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

"We are aware that earlier this morning, a third-party trucking operator carrying Poland Spring water was involved in a single-vehicle accident on the Maine Turnpike. We are fully cooperating with local law enforcement and are working with the trucking company to determine the cause of the incident," a spokesperson for BlueTriton Brands said in a statement.

"As a company, we take truck traffic management seriously and work to ensure the safety, courtesy and professionalism of all drivers who transport water for Poland Spring," the statement said.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH