This information is preliminary and subject to change.
Release Date 29 January 2026
On January 13, 2026, about 9:35 a.m. eastern standard time, three highway workers were struck by a 2021 Kia Sedona (minivan) while they were working in a temporary work zone along southbound Interstate 95 (I‑95) in Waterville, Kennebec County, Maine. In the vicinity of the crash, southbound I‑95 was a bridge overpass consisting of two through lanes and an acceleration lane for vehicles merging onto southbound I‑95 from Kennedy Memorial Drive.
The work zone had been established about 980 feet north of the I‑95 bridge overpass over Kennedy Memorial Drive and continued across the bridge. In the work zone, the southbound right lane and the acceleration lane at the entrance ramp were closed and the yield sign at the entrance ramp had been replaced by a temporary stop sign. The posted 65-mph speed limit was reduced to 55 mph through the temporary work zone.
As the minivan attempted to enter southbound I-95 from the entrance ramp, the driver did not stop for the temporary stop sign and collided with a 2025 Peterbilt truck-tractor in combination with a 2004 Mac live-floor semitrailer traveling in the left southbound lane. The impact redirected the minivan into the work zone, where it struck three of the six highway workers onsite, as well as the bridge railing.
As a result of the crash, two highway workers were projected over the bridge rail and fatally injured. Two highway workers and the minivan driver and two child passengers were transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver and two highway workers were uninjured.
Parties to the NTSB investigation include:
- Maine Department of Public Safety Bureau of State Police
- Maine Department of Transportation
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events.
