Maine Trooper and His K9 Escape Fiery, Explosive Cruiser Crash

A Maine State Police Trooper and his K9 were able to avoid flames and exploding bullets after their cruiser crashed.

Where Was This?

It was just after 11:00 Tuesday night, September 3rd, when Sergeant Jonathan Russell tried to pull over a vehicle for excessive speed on Route 26 in Oxford. The driver refused to stop and steered the car off Route 26 and onto Rabbit Valley Road in Oxford.

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How Did the Crash Happen?

Sergeant Russell tried to catch up with the vehicle, with his lights and sirens activated, but was unfamiliar with the road. As he drove, he failed to negotiate a turn at the bottom of a hill and his cruiser left the roadway to the left and into a ditch. The cruiser rotated and ended up coming to rest nose down. Both Sergeant Russell and his K-9 Preacher were able to exit the vehicle before it became fully engulfed in flames and ammunition in the back of the vehicle exploded. The K-9 wasn't hurt and Russell suffered minor injuries attributed to the airbag. The Maine State Police cruiser and all the equipment inside is considered a total loss. No one else was hurt in the crash.

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Was the Suspect Taken Into Custody?

The suspect's identity is unknown, however Sergeant Russell believes the offending vehicle was a mid-2000's Chevy or GMC with a utility body on the back. The investigation is ongoing.

We'll update this story as more details become available.