88-Year-Old Driver Causes Head-On Crash on Portland I-295, Injuring Three

Key points

• 88-year-old Ronald Ferguson of Nelson, New Hampshire, was driving a 2020 Subaru Outback when he entered the southbound lanes of I-295 in the wrong direction.
• The crash occurred near Tukey’s Bridge in Portland at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Saturday.
• Ferguson collided with a 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse traveling southbound.
• Ferguson, his female passenger, and the female driver of the Mitsubishi were all hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
• Two lanes of I-295 were closed for over two hours, with the Exit 8 off-ramp also shut down.

Background

This incident follows a pattern of severe wrong-way collisions on major interstates, including a fatal crash on I-270 in Maryland earlier this month where a driver’s wrong-way maneuver resulted in two deaths. While the Maryland incident involved suspected impairment, the Portland crash is attributed to a mistaken entry into the wrong lanes by an elderly driver.

How outlets are covering it

All four sources (Portland Press Herald, Bangor Daily News, WMTW, and WGME) agree on the core facts: the time, location, vehicles involved, and the number of injuries. The Bangor Daily News and WMTW provide the most specific details, identifying the wrong-way driver as Ronald Ferguson and the other vehicle as a 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse. WMTW specifically notes the closure of the Exit 8 off-ramp and traffic delays toward Baxter Boulevard. The Portland Press Herald and WGME offer more general overviews but confirm the serious nature of the injuries and the two-hour lane closure. There are no conflicting reports among the sources regarding the cause or the outcome of the crash.

Why it matters

Wrong-way driving incidents on high-speed interstates pose significant risks to all motorists, often resulting in severe injuries or fatalities. This crash highlights the dangers of elderly drivers potentially making navigational errors on complex highway systems. The two-hour closure of I-295 also underscores the significant traffic impact such accidents have on regional transportation networks in Maine.

What to watch

The investigation into the crash is ongoing, according to Maine State Police. There is no immediate indication of criminal charges at this stage, as the incident appears to be a mistake rather than intentional or impaired driving. Traffic conditions on I-295 have returned to normal following the reopening of the lanes at 9:20 p.m.