Illinois Man Killed in 3-vehicle Accident in Littleton on Route 1

This story has been updated as of 9:20 a.m. Saturday July 31

Maine State Police say that a multiple vehicle accident on Route 1 in Littleton, Maine, resulted in one fatality. A tractor-trailer was attempting to avoid a passenger van, which had veered in front of the trailer after striking a guardrail.  

65-Year-old Robert Harvin of Lake Bluff, Illinois was the operator of a 2005 dodge caravan that had been traveling southbound on route 1 around 10:30 am on Friday. He went off the road, striking the guardrail and veering into the northbound lane in front of the 2020 Freightliner. The van struck the trailer head on and Harvin was pronounced dead at the scene. The speed of the van is considered to be a factor at the time of the accident. 

The tractor trailer was operated by 67-year-old Houlton man, Bruce Hanning and he was able to walk away from the crash without injury. Hanning was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.   

Once Hanning attempted to avoid the van the trailer jackknifed and a 2014 Subaru struck the rear of the trailer. 30-Year-old Staci Merritt of Hodgdon was driving the Subaru and sustained minor injuries. She was taken to Houlton Regional Hospital.  

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Traffic along route 1 in Littleton was shut down for several hours throughout the afternoon while an investigation into the accident was conducted. Route 1 through Littleton was reopened around 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening. Motorists were directed to use the Carson Road and the Shaw Road. 

The Maine State Police were assisted on the scene by the Maine Department of Transportation, Littleton Fire Department, Houlton Fire and Ambulance Department, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.