Man in wheelchair and tractor

A man in a wheelchair and a tractor-trailer collided in Willimantic on Tuesday, according to Willimantic's fire chief.

Police said it happened on West Main Street in the area of Cantor Drive and Route 6 around 11:30 a.m.

According to Fire Chief Marc Scrivener, a group of firefighters was returning from training on Trapella Road when they saw a 74-year-old man lying in the intersection near his wheelchair.

As they stopped to help the man, a tractor-trailer driver ran up to them and said the wheelchair rolled into the rear wheels of his truck while it was in motion, according to Scrivener.

The victim suffered injuries to the head and he was taken to Windham Hospital where he was then flown by LifeStar to another facility.

There is no word on the man's condition.

Main Street was closed between the Route 66 intersection and the Route 6 on- and off-ramps for several hours but has reopened. Drivers were urged to seek alternative routes.

The police department's accident reconstruction team is investigating.