WATERVILLE, MAINE — Two Maine Department of Transportation workers were killed Tuesday morning after a minivan entered an Interstate 95 construction zone in Waterville and was struck by a tractor-trailer, pushing the vehicle into the work area and hitting road crew members, according to Maine State Police and the Maine Department of Public Safety.

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Officials said the crash happened shortly after 9:30 a.m. on I-95 southbound near mile marker 127. Investigators said the travel lane at the end of the southbound on-ramp from Kennedy Memorial Drive had been closed with cones and a posted stop sign as part of bridge construction, with MaineDOT workers on site.

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According to the Maine Department of Public Safety, a gray Kia minivan failed to stop at the posted stop sign and attempted to enter the passing lane of I-95 southbound, where it was struck by a southbound tractor-trailer. The collision forced the minivan into the work zone, striking three MaineDOT workers, officials said.

Two workers were thrown over the bridge and onto Kennedy Memorial Drive below, authorities said. They were pronounced dead at the scene and identified as James Brown, 60, of Waterville, and Dwayne Campbell, 51, of Waterville. The workers’ union said Brown had worked for MaineDOT for more than 12 years, and Campbell for more than 23 years.

A third MaineDOT worker was transported to a local hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, officials said. The minivan driver, described as a woman from Augusta, was also taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. Two young children riding in the minivan were not injured, according to officials. The tractor-trailer driver was not hurt, the release stated.

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The Maine Department of Public Safety said once the investigation is complete, the case will be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of charges. Officials said the Maine State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is investigating.

All lanes of I-95 southbound were closed for several hours during the investigation, and Kennedy Memorial Drive was also closed westbound, with one eastbound lane shut down for several hours to allow for emergency response and scene work, officials said.

The workers’ union urged motorists to use caution in work zones, and Gov. Janet Mills and MaineDOT Acting Commissioner Dale Doughty issued statements expressing condolences and emphasizing the dangers faced by road crews.

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