BANGOR — A ladder that fell off the back of a pickup truck caused a three-car pileup in the northbound lane of Interstate 95 Thursday morning, and led to five charges against the truck’s driver.

Maine State Police Trooper Trevor Snow said a 1989 Chevy pickup truck driven by Walter Musson, 44, of Newburgh was traveling over the Stillwater Avenue overpass when a ladder fell off the back off his vehicle shortly before 9 a.m.

A 1991 Toyota Tercel, being driven directly behind Musson’s truck by Kim Samson, 21, of Bangor was forced to brake hard in an effort to avoid the ladder. Samson’s car was then struck from behind by two other vehicles — a 1991 Ford pickup driven by Robert Williams, 31, of Bangor, and a 1986 Mercury driven by Marcie Grant, 26, of Dover-Foxcroft.

“It started in the travel lane, but by the time everybody got spun around, it was a little bit everywhere,” Snow said. “The guard rails kept them on the road.”

Samson’s car was totaled in the incident. Damage was estimated at $3,000 each to William’s and Grant’s vehicles. Musson’s vehicle was unscathed.

Musson reportedly left the scene of the accident, but contacted the Maine State Police hours later.

Snow said Musson was charged with leaving the scene of a personal-injury accident, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating an uninspected motor vehicle, operating an uninsured vehicle, and operating a vehicle with an unsecured load.

Traffic was backed up beyond the Broadway exit shortly after the accident occurred.

Samson and Grant were transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where they were treated for minor injuries and later released.