MECHANICS WANTED
Regional Crash Time: Dunkirk, North East, Hampton, Cheswold; wrecks fatal to three due to inattentive or impatient operators; bad weather blamed for 4th
DELAWARE STATE POLICE BEAT: John Lowman killed when he slammed into the rear of a Chinatown bus on Rt. 13
CHESWOLD, DEL. – John E. Lowman III, 42, of Kenton Delaware, was identified by Delaware State Police as the driver who was killed in a crash on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, on U.S. 13 North DuPont Highway at Jerome Drive south of Cheswold town limits.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, at approximately 11:20 p.m. when a 2006 Ford F-150 was traveling northbound on U.S. 13 North DuPont Highway south of Cheswold, Delaware. The F-150 was in the right lane approaching the traffic light at Jerome Drive directly behind a Tour Bus. The Tour Bus was traveling northbound on North DuPont Highway in the right lane approaching the traffic light at Jerome Drive in front of the F-150. The bus was slowing for the red light and almost stopped when the F-150 drove into the rear of the bus in the right lane. The Tour bus continued northbound and stopped in the right lane just south of Jerome Drive. The F-150 pickup truck rotated slightly counterclockwise and stopped facing in a northeasterly direction in the right lane behind the bus in the area of the impact.
The operator of the Ford F-150, a 42-year-old male from Kenton, Delaware, was not wearing his seat-belt. He was pronounced deceased at the scene
Delaware State Police reported that the operator of the Commercial Tour Bus, 47-year-old male of New York was not injured in the collision. The bus was carrying four passengers traveling to Chinatown in New York City. None of the passengers were injured in the collision and were released from the scene.
U.S. 13 North DuPont Highway in the area of the crash was closed for approximately four hours while the investigation was completed, and the roadway was cleared.
The crash continues to remain under investigation by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.
MARYLAND STATE POLICE BEAT: Unsafe passing by Jennifer Graf resulted in a head-on fatal crash that killed Peggy Murray
NORTH EAST, MD – An impatient motorist passing a vehicle when it was not safe led to the death of a Rising Sun-woman, according to Maryland State Police.
On November 14, 2018, just before 3:15 PM, troopers from the Maryland State Police’s North East Barrack responded to Joseph Biggs Memorial Highway (MD 274) east of Kirks Mill Lane in North East, Cecil County for a two-vehicle collision.
When troopers and Cecil County Emergency Services arrived, they came upon a blue 2013 Nissan Sentra, which had been operated by Ms. Jennifer Graf, 23 years old from Elkton, that had struck a white 2016 Chevrolet Equinox driven by Betty Murray, 66, of Rising Sun. The preliminary investigation determined the Nissan was initially traveling eastbound on Joseph Biggs Memorial Highway when it attempted to pass another vehicle in front of it traveling in the same direction. The Nissan crossed into the westbound lane during the attempted pass, where it struck the Chevrolet traveling westbound head-on.
Graf was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore by a Maryland State Police Aviation medevac. A 17-year-old juvenile passenger from the Nissan was flown to Christiana Hospital in Delaware, and a second passenger identified as Robert Hale, 27 years old of Rising Sun was transported by EMS to Christiana Hospital as well. Betty Murray was transported to Union Hospital in Elkton, however, police report that she succumbed to her injuries and was declared dead shortly after arriving.
The Maryland State Police CRASH team responded to the scene for the investigation, and the State Highway Administration assisted with the road closure which lasted approximately four (4) hours.
Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact the North East Barrack reference case number 18-MSP-049435.
Charges may be pending after the entire investigation is completed and consultation with the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office.
CALVERT POLICE BEAT: Teen Driver Seriously Injured After Failing to Yield Right of Way
DUNKIRK, MD. – Two teen drivers came together on Rt. 4 with one driver operating a Jeep properly and the other taking an impatient and imprudent chance to dash out onto Rt. 4 during rush hour which resulted in a fight for life.
Calvert County Sheriff Capt. David Payne reports that on November 14, 2018, at approximately 5:57 p.m. members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Patrol Bureau and Crash Reconstruction Team were dispatched to Southern Maryland Blvd (MD 4) and Brickhouse Road in Dunkirk, MD for a Vehicle Collison.
The preliminary investigation of the collision revealed a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by a 17-year-old from Dunkirk, Md, was traveling northbound on MD 4 approaching Brickhouse Rd. A 2012 Hyundai Elantra, driven by another 17-year-old from Dunkirk Md, was attempting to make a left turn from Brickhouse Rd onto southbound MD 4. The Hyundai failed to yield the right of way to the Jeep. The front of the Jeep struck the driver side of the Hyundai. The Jeep came to rest in the median of MD 4. The Hyundai traveled across southbound MD 4 and struck an embankment on the southbound shoulder.
Due to injuries from the crash, the driver of the Hyundai was flown by Medevac to Med Star in Washington DC and is listed in serious but stable condition. The driver of the Jeep refused medical treatment and was released from the scene with no injuries. Preliminary Investigation shows that the Hyundai Driver’s Failure to Yield the Right of Way contributed to this crash.
The collision is under investigation by Sgt. T. Phelps of the Crash Reconstruction Team. Anyone with additional information regarding the collision is asked to contact the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office at 410-535-2800 or e-mail the investigator at thomas.phelps@calvertcountymd.gov .
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE BEAT: All the best efforts of State Trooper, Good Samaritans and VDOT employee weren’t enough to save the life of Karen Wright
HAMPTON, VA. – A crew of miracle workers came together in a flash in a quick response that combined heart, training, serendipity and hopes to save the life of a motorist.
Virginia State Police report that a disabled vehicle call for Virginia State Trooper J. Brooks on Nov. 14, 2018, quickly became a joint effort to render CPR and resuscitate an unresponsive drive with the assistance of a VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) employee and three good Samaritans.
On the evening of November 14, 2018, the Virginia State Police Communications Center received a call of a stopped vehicle in the right travel lane blocking the flow of traffic on Interstate 64 westbound, west of Settlers Landing Road. The calls described the vehicle as an SUV with the driver hunched over the steering wheel.
Trooper J. Brooks arrived at the scene and found the female driver unresponsive; the driver had her foot on the brake with the vehicle in drive and doors locked. Trooper Brooks advised SMART Traffic/VDOT employee to block both lanes of travel and to assist him with the driver. Trooper Brooks broke the driver side window to gain access to the locked SUV and placed the vehicle in park. With the help of VDOT employee, Austin W. Wiggins, they removed the driver from the vehicle and immediately began CPR.
While rendering CPR, three good Samaritans stopped to assist with compressions, rotating two man CPR techniques until Hampton medics and firefighters arrived. The driver was transported to Hampton Careplex.
The driver, Karen Lynn Wright, was pronounced deceased by the Hampton Careplex staff despite the joint efforts made to keep her alive.
Weather a factor in a wreck that killed David Lenox
STAFFORD, VA. – Bad weather was a factor in the fatal crash on Rt. 218, reports Virginia State Police Virginia State Police Trooper Z.G. Torrance is investigating a fatal crash in Stafford County. The crash occurred Nov. 15, 2018, at 7:05 a.m. in the 700 block of White Oak Road/Route 218.
A 2015 Ford Mustang was traveling west on White Oak Road when the driver lost control. The vehicle ran off the right side of the highway, over corrected and crossed back into the highway. As the Mustang crossed the center line, it encountered an eastbound 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe. The Tahoe tried to avoid the Mustang but the two vehicles collided in the roadway.
The driver of the Mustang, David M. Lenox, 27, of Fredericksburg, Va., died at the scene. The adult female passenger in the Mustang was transported to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Both were wearing seatbelts.
The adult male driver of the Tahoe was wearing a seat belt and was not injured in the crash.
The crash remains under investigation. Road conditions were a factor in the crash.
