FARMINGTON — A tractor-trailer truck hauling 22 tons of wood pellets overturned on Fairbanks Road/Route 4, just north of Box Shop Hill Road, on Sunday night after the trailer’s brakes failed to work, police secretary Rachel Heseltine said Monday.

Driver Etienne Blanchette, 31, of Quebec declined medical treatment, she said.

Blanchette was hauling the packaged pellets from Canada to Auburn when the incident happened at 9:02 p.m. while it was snowing out.

Sgt. Michael Adcock stated in his police report that Blanchette was southbound on the road and was going at a rate of speed that was too fast for road conditions, Heseltine said. The driver told police brakes of the trailer became inoperative and caused the truck and trailer to over turn, she said.

The speed limit is 25 miles per hour in that area, which is just outside downtown.

Adcock had the Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit called to the scene to check out the rig.

State police determined the brakes on the trailer were defective, Heseltine said.

A wrecker from Collins Enterprises was able to right the trailer and keep the majority of the load intact on the trailer, she said.

About 1 ton of pellets were damaged, she said.

Farmington police are not pursuing charges, she said. If any charges are filed, they would come through the State Police commercial vehicle unit, she said.

Traffic was rerouted for about two hours while the pellets were being cleaned up.

Farmington police were assisted at the scene by Franklin County Sheriff deputies, Maine State Police, Farmington firefighters, Farmington Highway Department and NorthStar Emergency Medical Services.

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