Tire lost from logging truck destroys car in Rumford

RUMFORD — A local woman was injured Friday afternoon when her car was destroyed by one of two tires that came off a loaded logging truck on Route 2, police said.

Constance Breton, 58, suffered minor injuries and complained of pain, Sgt. James Bernard said at the scene. She was taken by Med-Care Ambulance to Rumford Hospital.

Bernard said Breton was traveling west in a 2010 Hyundai Elantra on Route 2 at about 3:20 p.m. When she was within 100 yards of her home, an eastbound logging truck driven by Dale Coffin, 64, of West Paris lost two tires just beyond Rumford Center, police said.

The first tire smashed into the front end of Breton’s 2010 Hyundai Elantra, littering the road and shoulder with car and engine parts. The tire came to rest along the bank of the Androscoggin River next to the eastbound lane.

Maifeld said Coffin wasn’t aware that the first tire had come off and didn’t know he had a problem until the truck’s load shifted. The two tires came off the front of the log trailer on the driver’s side.

“He said he was just driving along and saw the second tire when it passed him,” Maifeld said. “I’m sure that after the second one came off and his load shifted, he knew something was wrong.”

After passing the logging truck, the second tire rolled through a driveway and a snowbank, coming to rest near snow-covered softwood trees beside the westbound lane.

Coffin pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the truck beside the Blue Iris Motor Inn to await police just down from where the second tire stopped. Maifeld estimated the loaded tractor-trailer weighed about 100,000 pounds. It is owned by Coffin Trucking of West Paris.

Due to defective equipment on the logging truck, Bernard said he called the Maine State Police Commercial Enforcement Division, which sent Trooper Jeff DeGroot to determine why the wheels came off.

DeGroot arrived at about 4:30 p.m. as temperatures fell below zero and he and the two Rumford officers began inspecting the wheel hub.

Rumford firefighters kept traffic flowing in one lane while clearing the road of debris.

Bernard said no charges would be pending from Rumford police.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

: One of two tires that came off a loaded West Paris logging truck, background, on Route 2 in Rumford Center on Friday afternoon stands where it stopped. The first tire that came off wrecked a 2010 Hyundai Elantra, injuring its driver, Rumford police said.

: The driver of this demolished 2010 Hyundai Elantra was taken to Rumford Hospital on Friday afternoon when a tire that came off a loaded logging truck on Route 2 near Rumford Center smashed into the car, police said.

: Rumford police Sgts. James Bernard and Douglas Maifeld, right, watch Maine State Police Trooper Jeff DeGroot of the Commercial Enforcement Division examine the hub of a 22-wheel logging truck that lost two wheels Friday afternoon as it was being driven east on Route 2 near Rumford Center.

: This 22-wheel logging truck lost two wheels from the loaded trailer while being driven east on Friday afternoon on Route 2 near Rumford Center. One wheel destroyed a westbound 2010 Hyundai, injuring its Rumford driver, police said.

: This wheel is one of two that came off a loaded logging tractor-trailer truck as it was being driven east on Route 2 near Rumford Center on Friday afternoon. This wheel came to rest on the Androscoggin River bank after smashing into and destroying a 2010 Hyundai Elantra, injuring its driver, police said.