HOPE — Rescue crews extricated one man trapped behind the wheel of a truck that had crashed into a Route 17 ditch in Hope near the intersection of Alford Lake Road this afternoon, Aug. 13. The crash that occurred at approximately 12:20 p.m. involved two trucks and one small sedan.

The driver of that truck, Ryan Gauthier, 36, of Albion, was transported to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport, and later flown by helicopter to another hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

The chain of events happened as Dakota Maddocks, 19, of Appleton, was heading eastbound in her 2008 Mazda sedan. She suddenly stopped for a car in front of her that was turning onto Alford Lake Road, the Sheriff’s Office said, in a news release.

Bruce Pease, 33, of Appleton, driving a 2004 Volvo Cement truck owned by Ferriaolo Construction, of Rockland, was traveling behind her.

Pease was not able to stop in time as Maddocks braked, and struck the left rear end of the Mazda. Pease then veered into the opposite lane and hit an oncoming 2014 Chevrolet 3500 utility truck under the operation of Ryan Gauthier, who was heading west on Route 17.

The Chevrolet truck is owned by O&P Glass, of Manchester.

The head-on crash caused both vehicles to go off the road, down into the ditch bordering the westbound lane, and into trees.

The Mazda, meanwhile, remained in the westbound lane. Maddocks and her passenger, a seven-month-old baby, were not injured.

The driver of the cement truck was not transported to the hospital by ambulance, but was going to get medically evaluated because of pain in his arm and shoulder.

Using extrication equipment, Rockport firefighters cut the door pins off of the Chevrolet truck and bent the door forward to pull Gauthier from the cab. The steering wheel and dashboard of the truck had pinned him against the seat and he could not move. He suffered injuries to his knee, hip and elbow, as well as face lacerations. Rockport firefighters released him from the truck within 10 minutes.

He was transported to Penobscot Bay Medical Center by Union Ambulance and later transported to another hospital by LifeFlight helicopter with possible broken bones.

Hope, Rockport and Union fire departments responded to the crash, as did Union Ambulance and North East Mobile Health, a Maine State Trooper and the Knox County Sheriff’s Department.

Traffic was rerouted onto side roads as the highway was cleared and the trucks and sedan towed away.  The trucks were inspected by Commercial Vehicle Enforcement of the Maine State Police.

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657