Two people were killed and two injured in a three-vehicle crash which occurred in Fallston Tuesday morning.
One of the three vehicles involved was a Harford County Public Schools Facilities Department truck, which police said crossed the double yellow center line, striking a GMC sport utility vehicle.
The driver of the school system vehicle, Donald Jones, 59, of Bel Air was killed, as was the driver of the SUV, Ronald W. Buchholz, 46, of Essex, police said.
Injured in the crash were Mike Euler, 51, of Fallston, a prominent local developer who rear-ended the SUV following the initial crash, and David Walter Sr., 36, of Bel Air, a passenger in the school vehicle.
The accident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. on Route 152 near Reckord Road, according to Rich Gardiner, spokesman for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association.
Harford County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Monica Worrell said a preliminary investigation determined that the Harford County Public Schools work vehicle crossed the double yellow line of northbound Route 152, striking the southbound 2012 GMC Terrain SUV head-on. Euler’s southbound 1994 Jeep Wrangler then rear-ended the GMC Terrain.
Buchholz was pronounced dead at the scene, Worrell said. Jones died after being transported to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in “trauma arrest,” or cardiac arrest due to traumatic injuries, according to Gardiner. Buchholz was not extricated from his vehicle until approximately 1:30 p.m., Worrell said.
Euler and Walter were transported from the scene to the R Adams Cowley University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, one by Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company Ambulance and the other by Maryland State Police helicopter, according to Gardiner. It took rescue crews 15 minutes to extricate the injured from their vehicles, he said.
Walter was treated and released from Shock Trauma by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Worrell said. Euler remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
Jones and Walter were electricians with the school system’s facilities department, according to Harford County Public Schools spokeswoman Teri Kranefeld. Jones had been employed with the school system for 31 years, she said, while Walter has been employed for more than 10 years.
“Harford County Public Schools is devastated about the tragic accident that occurred today,” Kranefeld said in an e-mail to The Dagger. “We are reaching out to our employees and providing support and counseling for anyone who wishes to talk to someone about this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those involved in the accident today and their families.”
Traffic was detoured between Singer Road and Route 1 Tuesday afternoon as Sheriff’s Office deputies investigated the crash.
My thoughts and prayers are with their families.