BANGOR, Maine (WBZ NewsRadio) — Maine State Police said a trooper was struck and killed in a crash on I-95 in Hampden Wednesday morning.
The trooper, Detective Benjamin Campbell, 31, was struck around 7:30 a.m. just south of Colebrook Road.
State Police said he was outside of his cruiser dealing with a disabled car when two wheels from a tractor trailer, which was driving past fell off.
One of those tires struck him.
He was rushed to Eastern Maine Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Maine State Police Chief John Cote described Campbell, a seven year veteran of the agency, as the victim of "bizarre timing" and said aspects of a police investigation into the crash are still ongoing. Campbell had been on his way to instruct a training session when the crash took place just after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in Hampden, near Bangor.
"Right now focus is on taking care of our members. Ben Campbell was one of our very best," Cote said. "This is going to be a loss."
The driver of the truck was Scott Willett of Patten, who is the owner and operator of Scott Willett Trucking, Cote said. Willett stopped driving when the wheel came loose, he said. Willett will be subject to normal protocols of a fatal crash investigation, such as a blood test to determine if alcohol was a factor, Cote said.
Campbell was to turn 32 on Monday and was a native of East Hampton, Massachusetts. He leaves behind his wife, Hilary, and a six-month-old son, Everett.
The Associated Press to this report.
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