A serious three-car crash in Bel Air sent two people to regional hospitals Thursday, Maryland State Police said.
The crash was reported at 2:35 p.m. Thursday in the southbound lanes of the Bel Air Bypass, prior to the intersection with Route 24. According to state police, a driver attempted to swerve their vehicle to avoid a braking or stopped vehicle in the left-hand turn lane onto Route 24, but clipped that vehicle, went into a spin, and was struck by a vehicle in the right-hand lane. The spinning car overturned, and came to rest just off the roadway.
Two patients were transported from the scene to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center; one patient was then taken to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.
Portions of the roadway through the area was closed for approximately two and a half hours, state police said.
Additional details were expected later Thursday evening.
It seems that driving has become a talent that is well beyond many peoples ability.
How hard is it to not run into the rear of a stopped vehicle?
Well, if they’re stopped in the travel lane…
Are you suggesting if there is something in your lane of travel like a car, that is not moving, on a perfectly gorgeous afternoon you would not see it in time to come to a complete stop?
Looks like I was right on the lack of talent assessment.
@jack Rabbit
“How hard is it to not run into the back of a stopped vehicle?”
Not hard if you’re paying attention to what you’re doing.
If you’re not paying attention then it happens all the time.
You’ve asked the million dollar question Jack Rabbit. Fifteen months later my neck is still effed up thanks to the negligent act of a driver travelling about 60 miles per hour, failing to see myself and the other cars stopped in front of Trinity Lutheran School at 8 in the morning. The worst part is nothing happens to the aggressor, only the victim(s). Unless it’s vehicular manslaughter…..
Yes! Stuck on By pass two hours today. Unreal traffic nightmare~Sorry for those involved, But this was some serious back up…that extended above and beyond.
When the bypass was created, it was a leisurely way for us to avoid the town of bel air, now it is a raceway and confusing for folks heading to fallston/benson and south. This person may have been in the wrong lane and Bam, accident. I know they meant to inconvience anyone. Hope they survive.
The Bel Air Bypass is probably the most heavily patrolled section of roadway in this county as far as speed enforcement, it has mandatory headlight use, deer can be seen grazing right next to the shoulders almost daily, and people still choose to fly through it.
With that being said, we don’t know what caused this particular person to lose control, I’m sure it won’t be long before someone comes on here and blames texting or alcohol, but whatever the cause, prayers to all involved.
Truth is, unless the automobile suffers a failure, mechanically or electronically that leads to a crash, the rest of the cases fault are of operator negligence.
I would even paint weather related crashes with operator negligence.
People are the problem. If everyone paid attention, we would have nearly no MVC’s.
Tell me why it’s a daily occurrence of hearing a MVC report at nearly all the se perfectly functioning traffic controlled intersections?
Inpatient people don’t want to sit through another traffic light cycle so they run a red signal, it happens every day here.
Compounded with a problem of distracted driving makes it even worse. Don’t forget to take your #selfie. LOL
Here is the bottom line, driver error caused the crash. But let’s delve a little deeper to find the real root cause of just about all of the accidents that happen on that road. Sometimes, it is the design of a roadway that contributes to accidents. Because even if it was driver error, why are there so many accidents in a five mile stretch of road way.
Let me give you the engineering answer without any emotion. In the 1950’s, the then State Roads Commission started looking at traffic on Route 1 in the town of Bel Air. That’s the Rt. 1 you now know as Baltimore Pike in front of the Mall. They deemed that a bypass was needed for the Town of Bel Air due to the growing region and traffic patterns.
Around 1960 they designed a four lane highway from where the MSP barracks are in Bel Air at 147 to about where the by pass now ends north of Hickory, about 7 miles Construction of the by-pass began in 1963, but that is when the problems started. I am not sure of the exact reasons back in 1963, but they cancelled the four lane stretch from where the old roller rink (now B-1) was to north of Hickory (which was eventually completed a few years ago) and they cancelled the four lane section from just below the current Rt 24 interchange is, up to where the roller rink used to be (now B-1). The only section that looked like the original design when the road opened in 1965 was a two mile section from the MSP barrack down to the overpass at Tollgate Rd.
What you were left with was a very dangerous roadway with two way traffic and narrow shoulders. So along comes the new Rt 24 in 1987. The interchange with Rt 1 should have been a trumpet interchange and not that crazy SB 1 left turn lane onto SB Rt 24. The entire Rt 1 project was to have been completed into a six lane highway between Rt 24 and Rt 924.
My guess is at the end of the day, this entire mess has been created by a lack of $$$$ to build the road as it was designed. What you are left with is a real hodge podge of minor fixes over the years, which is a highway safety disaster for drivers. A good example is the center guard rail that was put in. A great temporary solution to a bigger problem, , but it replaced wider shoulders, that created a new problem.
At the end of the day, far too many highway dollars have been spent repaying the constituents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Some of this money needs to come to Harford County to complete projects that were planned back in the 50’s. Until then, the police can aggressively enforce all of the traffic laws on this roadway, it won’t matter and to date, hasn’t mattered. From a safety stand point. turning your headlights on isn’t going to make a hill of beans difference. Especially since you can’t pass anyway. In it’s current state, it’s a bad design and waiting for an accident to happen every day..
I drive it twice every day for 20 years and have yet to hit a stopped car. Should I consider myself an above average driver on a below average road?
I drove 155 and 136 early around 5:00am for a week straight, and nearly a week straight someone passed me on double yellow.
I’d be the only car for minutes at a time, then I’d see some assholes headlights approaching from behind me real fast and them around me on double yellow. Blind curves. Blind hills, doesn’t matter, these assholes did it anyway.
The individual you are talking about has since deceased so will you please shut the fuck up!!!
How are the people she sent to the hospital but the bigger question is did the text go through?
Get the fucking facks
Oh I’m so sure a 72 yr old individual is texting u fucking asshole
You some type of a E-Tough Guy?
The 72 year old is a distant family member of mine. Too distant to have any feelings other than I cringe at the thought that if it were my family in a van that got hit from behind….can’t imagine the thought. Slow down and pay attention. Especially if you are older with slower reaction skills.
This was my Aunt that was killed in the crash. Instead of the ignorant comments about “did the text go through” how about you all just pray things like this don’t happen again…especially to people you love. We all make mistakes it is part of being human…NO ONE is perfect, some are just luckier than others. i don’t know what happened that day, except God decided to call my aunt home. Rest in peace Aunt Cass!
Apparently God also decided cass needed to send 2 other people to the hospital. Maybe you should consider going and doing something very nice for those poor people she injured.
? – At least those individuals are alive. A mistake was made and people act like the accident was intentional. Ignorant remarks shouldn’t be made… someone died from this and people should just realize how short life is and how quickly your life can be taken from you. I will pray for those who are quick to judge and have ignorant things to say. A life was lost and others were hurt… i pray for all of the ones involved in one way or another. Nothing I can do or say will change those who are narrow minded.
unless there is some mechanical failure discovered there was no accident.
you could help those who aunt cass sent to the hospital at the hand of god you claim took her.
do the right thing, god did this for a reason.
Its No accident unless it’s mechanical failure… lord help you.
Why don’t you do the right thing and find some common sense before you speak.
An accident is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity It usually implies a generally negative outcome which might have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its occurrence. Please Let this rest. Cass isn’t here to defend her self or apologize, she would never intentionally harm anyone. What’s done is done, no one wins in this situation.
Cass was my sister-in-law and drove like a nut. I wouldn’t ride with her.
And who are you…certainly NOT HER SISTER-IN-LAW BECAUSE SHE HAS 3 AND I AM ONE OF THEM. And none of us would say something like this..
As predicted, people are on here blaming text messaging for this accident. Text messaging didn’t exist a while back and we still had tragic accidents. And to the person that refuses to call this an accident unless mechanical failure was involved – are you implying that this dear departed lady PURPOSEFULLY struck another vehicle, swerved out in front of another vehicle, only to be t-boned, spin and flip, just so she could sustain life ending injuries? Plausible, but NOT LIKELY!
Condolences to the family of the deceased. I hope the negative comments fade out quickly.