Troopers Investigate Fatal Wrong-Way Driver Crash

On December 31, 2024, at approximately 11:00 AM, State Police began taking calls about a wrong-way driver who was northbound in the southbound lane of Interstate 95 near mile 142 in Burnham. Minutes later, as troopers were en route to intercept the vehicle, reports of a head-on crash came in at mile 147 in Pittsfield.  Investigators determined Ivan Cunningham, 82, of Corinna, was operating his 2013 Ford Focus northbound in the southbound lane before striking a 2023 Ford F-150, operated by 27-year-old Nathaniel Blanchard of Stetson head-on. State Police, working with the Maine Department of Transportation, quickly shut I-95 southbound down at Exit 150, diverting traffic while Rescue personnel responded. Cunningham was pronounced dead at the scene. Blanchard, despite the severity of the crash, was flown via Life Flight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor with injuries that are considered non-life threatening. This portion of I-95 was closed for approximately two hours while a State Police Reconstruction team assisted Troop I with their investigation.