Erratic Elderly Man On Interstate Spurs Pair Of Secondary Crashes Monday

State Police had their hands full Monday afternoon, chasing down an erratic driver and then dealing with secondary crashes caused by all the commotion.

Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Shannon Moss said it all began to unfold on the highway near Freeport at around 4 PM. That's when 911 dispatchers started to get calls about someone driving all over the road on Interstate 295 near Exit 22.

There just so happened to be a State Trooper not too far away, who waited for the diver to approach.

"Tr. Maloon attempted to stop the vehicle utilizing his emergency lights and siren but the vehicle failed to stop. Tr. Maloon pursued the vehicle northbound and attempted to separate the offending vehicle from other motorists. The vehicle came to a stop north of exit 28 on 295 and the male operator was found to be elderly, and suffering from a medical/mental health event. An adverse driving report will be filed with the State Bureau of Motor Vehicles."

As a result of all the activity leading up to when the driver finally stopped, traffic along 295 was backed up nearby, and two other crashes involving a total of 6 other vehicles occurred. Authorities from the Brunswick PD and Fire Department, along with several other emergency relief agencies worked together to tend to the accident scenes. Traffic was restricted down to one lane for a little over half an hour as they cleared the area.

Here are some other hot spots for accidents in the state of Maine.