A Maine State Police trooper was recovering from injuries Monday, a day after his cruiser was hit by a vehicle on the Maine Turnpike in York.

Trooper William Baker was sitting in his cruiser Sunday morning, investigating another crash on the turnpike, when a car driven by a University of New England student skidded on the icy road, hit the center guardrail, slid across three lanes and struck the cruiser on the driver’s door, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Baker was taken to York Hospital with what police described as “bumps and bruises.” His cruiser, a 2010 Crown Victoria, was destroyed. The student, Kaitlin St. Peter, 21, of Dracut, Mass., had only minor injuries.

St. Peter was charged with imprudent speed. Turnpike signs were displaying 45 mph at the time of the crash, state police said.

That crash was the most serious of four that damaged four state police vehicles during the long holiday weekend.

Trooper Samuel Tlumac’s cruiser was rear-ended while parked at a crash site on Interstate 95 in Pittsfield on Sunday afternoon. He was treated for minor injuries and released. The other driver was not injured.

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On Thanksgiving night, Trooper Breanne Petrini’s cruiser was hit after she set up her cruiser at mile marker 148 in Pittsfield. Ryan Turel, 27, was arrested on charges of driving drunk and driving after his license had been suspended.

Trooper Jamie Fenderson’s Chevrolet Suburban hit a moose in southern Maine. He was not injured.

Scott Dolan can be contacted at 791-6304 or at:

sdolan@pressherald.com

Twitter: @scottddolan


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