Maine man dies after crashing into state trooper’s cruiser

A Winter Harbor man died after crashing into a Maine State Police trooper’s vehicle on Wednesday evening.

Trooper Ryan Murray had been parked at a gravel turnout on Route 180 in Ellsworth before his cruiser was struck by a vehicle driven by 43-year-old Jonathan Wood at around 7:36 p.m. Wednesday, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.

An initial investigation showed that Wood had been southbound on Route 180 before his vehicle went off the road, into the turnout where Murray had been parked, and struck the cruiser.

Wood’s van rolled over in the crash, ejecting him from the vehicle. He had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, Moss said. He died at the scene.

Murray was not seriously injured in the crash, and was released from a local hospital after receiving treatment for minor injuries.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.