ST. MARY’S TODAY: Law Enforcement Open House provided crowd gathered for static displays and crash reenactment with a real flyout of crash victim

CLICK VIDEO BELOW

ST. MARY’S TODAY: Law Enforcement Open House provided crowd gathered for static displays and crash reenactment with a real flyout of crash victim

LEONARDTOWN, MD. – The Maryland State Police Barrack Commander in Leonardtown, Lt. Krystle Rossignol, planned to hold an open house on Oct. 19, 2019, which developed into a massive display of police, fire and rescue services involving the St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Department as well, featuring a reenactment of a crash scene by the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department.

As the displays got underway, a real crash took place on Maryland Rt. 5 in front of Kevin’s Corner Kafe which shut down the highway in both directions for hours just north of the crowded St. Mary’s County Annual Oyster Festival.

While the fire and rescue teams wrapped up their demonstration of how crash victims were extricated from a serious wreck, they soon left the Open House at the State Police Barrack and Sheriff’s Headquarters and sped down to the wreckage on Rt. 5.

The Advanced Life Support and Leonardtown Rescue Squad stabilized the victim, described as an elderly driver by St. Mary’s Sheriff Patrol Commander Capt. David Yingling and drove the patient to the State Police Barrack where Maryland State Police Medevac Helicopter Trooper Seven was part of the day’s displays, allowing the public to get a rare look inside the impressive helicopter. 

While the State Police Pilot warmed up Trooper Seven for their life-saving mission, the Trooper Medic met the rescue team to prepare the patient to be moved from the ambulance unit to the chopper and then be flown to a trauma unit, likely to PG Shock Trauma in Cheverly.

The hundreds of people who were in attendance for the Police, Fire, and Rescue Open House found the real-life rescue and flight preparation to a treat as most such removals are conducted far away from any spectators in remote areas in the middle of the night.

With tens of thousands of visitors at the Oyster Festival, just a mile south of the crash scene, traffic was rerouted north on Rt. 4 to Fairgrounds Road and was backed up for miles.

The St. Mary’s Sheriff SWAT Team, crime lab and even jail officials were on hand to discuss their services and specialty units, along with a Hope for Heroin outreach van.

The Maryland State Police featured a DUI mobile testing van, State Fire Marshal search dogs with a demonstration as well as motorcycle units, Natural Resources Police and recruiters for all agencies explaining career opportunities for those who were interested.