Fort Kent ambulance driver falls asleep, crashes in Masardis

7 years ago

MASARDIS, Maine — A Fort Kent ambulance driver travelling north on Route 11 early Wednesday morning fell asleep at the wheel before crashing into a ditch in Masardis, according to the Maine State Police.

The state police say that following the 4 a.m. crash, the driver Russell Jandreau, 65, and another ambulance worker were taken to The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle with injuries that were not life threatening.

According to Trooper Ryan Kilcollins, Jandreau was driving the ambulance, which did not have any patients, and fell asleep before a curve in the road.

He “woke up and attempted to correct the vehicle but it was too far into the ditch,” Kilcollins said in a press release. The ambulance struck a utility pole and rolled over.

Ashland Fire and Rescue responded to the crash and transported the two ambulance workers to TAMC, while Emera and Fairpoint were called to repair the utility pole, Kilcollins said.

The vehicle, a 2015 Ford ambulance, is considered a total loss.