Two people were killed and another was critically injured in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 295 in Maine on Monday, authorities said.
The crash happened around 10 a.m. after a Toyota SUV traveling south in the northbound lane crashed head-on into a Honda SUV, Maine State Police said in a statement.
The driver of the Toyota, Nancy Ezhaya, 72, of Yarmouth, and the driver of the Honda, Allen Apblett, 61, of Oklahoma, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
“The crash is still under investigation, however, there are indications that Nancy Ezhaya was having a medical condition that caused her to be confused and improperly entered the highway in the wrong direction,” State Police said.
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The state medical examiner’s office is conducting an autopsy, the department said.
Apblett was traveling with his wife, Natalie Menzies, 60, who was critically injured. She is at Maine Medical Center in Portland in stable but critical condition, State Police said late Tuesday afternoon.
Allen Apblett was a professor at Oklahoma State University.
“The Cowboy family mourns the loss of Dr. Allen Apblett,” the university said in a statement. “He served the university’s chemistry department for over 25 years, cementing a legacy of scholarship and inspiring countless students. A distinguished fellow of the American Chemical Society, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Ceramic Society, Dr. Apblett was published over 100 times, holds multiple patents and awards and made lasting contributions to his field. The thoughts of the entire Cowboy family are with Dr. Apblett’s family at this time.”
The crash occurred in Falmouth, just south of Exit 11. The highway was closed for about three hours, police said.
Travis Andersen of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.