A Maine state trooper that had stopped to assist a disabled vehicle was killed this morning after being struck by a wheel that broke free from a passing tractor-trailer.
Detective Ben Campbell had been standing near a disabled vehicle along Interstate 95 in Hampden around 7:30 a.m. when two tires broke free from a tractor-trailer traveling on the highway. One of the tires struck Campbell who later died at a hospital in Bangor.
The truck driver, 52-year-old Scott Willett, pulled over after losing his tires. Commercial vehicle inspectors from Maine State Police arrived on scene and began inspecting the truck. Willett underwent drug and alcohol testing. Police have not yet released their findings. Willett is an owner-operator based in Maine.
