BENTON — According to State Police, one lane of Interstate 95 in Benton will be closed for the day after a tractor trailer went off the road early this morning.

The truck is loaded with 30,000 pounds of live lobsters from Nova Scotia. A crane will be needed to upright the truck and inspect the cargo. The passing lane of the southbound lanes is closed.

The wreck took place along the straight stretch known as the Benton Flats at mile 135. The driver, Horst Puff of Greenfield, Nova Scotia, said he swerved to avoid striking a car that had spun out in front of him.

The truck ended up on its side in the median. The driver was not injured. In addition to one lane being closed, the entire southbound side will be closed for a time during the day to allow equipment to upright the truck and remove the cargo.

Trooper Joe Chretien reported that the lobsters survived the wreck and are headed for New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The unloading of the lobsters began this morning to another truck . Once the off-loading has taken place, the tractor trailer will be removed from the median.

The driver and his dog spent the night at a Waterville motel and returned to the crash site to oversee the transfer of the lobsters. The truck is owned by Gerhardt Trucking of Riverport, Nova Scotia.

The trooper said in a news release that it is likely both the cab and trailer were damaged beyond repair. No charges are expected against the driver. Travel around the crash site continues to be reduced to one lane.