Maryland: Driver plows through fatal crash scene, strikes investigator
A pickup truck driver crashed through the cordoned-off aftermath scene of a fatal collision near North East on Christmas Eve, striking a police vehicle and a forensic investigator, who was taken to an area hospital, according to Maryland State Police.The initial incident occurred about 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, when a westbound Chevrolet Colorado driven by Jason Phelps, 39, of North East, crashed into a Ford Focus driven by Estel Privett, 74, of Elkton, in the 1700 block of W. Pulaski Highway (Route 40), east of North East, police said. Privett, who had just exited Weaver’s Liquor store, was attempting to cross westbound Route 40 to the eastbound lanes when Phelps’ truck crashed into Privett’s car in the middle of the westbound lane, ramming the vehicle off the road and causing it to smash into a guardrail in the highway median, police said. Privett was pronounced dead at the scene, police added.
The fatal crash forced emergency workers to close both lanes of Route 40 from Mechanics Valley Road to an unconfirmed point east of the scene, causing major traffic backups on the detour routes. At approximately 5:45 p.m., some 90 minutes after the fatal collision, a Toyota Tundra driven by Kevin Roberts, 56, of North East, crashed through a roadblock manned by State Highway Administration road crew workers on eastbound West Pulaski Highway at Mechanics Valley Road, near the Royal Farms, according to police
MSP officials said Roberts crashed through the roadblock for still “unknown reasons,” but also reported investigators believe that “impairment by alcohol and controlled dangerous substances” is a contributing factor. Orange traffic cones and road flares were lined across the highway at that roadblock intersection and at least one SHA vehicle was in the area, which was well lighted. Several SHA workers were nearby directing the detouring traffic.
Police said Roberts plowed through those traffic cones and flares and reportedly struck an SHA dump truck. After slowing briefly, he sped away and continued driving eastbound on the cordoned-off section of highway, heading toward the aftermath scene of the fatal collision, which was approximately a quarter-mile away from the roadblock that he had breached, police added.
Paramedics, police officers and other emergency workers were still at that scene when the pickup truck reached that point. There, the truck driven by Roberts struck a marked Maryland State Police F-8 sport utility vehicle, which caused heavy passenger-side damage, and that impact pushed the MSP vehicle into a forensic investigator who was on foot working at the scene of the fatal accident, police reported. The MSP vehicle, which was unoccupied, was parked at the scene of the earlier fatal collision.
Both Roberts and the investigator, whom MSP officials have yet to name, were taken to Christiana Hospital in Delaware. A section of West Pulaski Highway remained closed for eight hours after the two incidents, while emergency workers handled the initial situations and then an MSP accident reconstruction team, which reportedly responded from Charles County, investigated the accidents.
No charges have been filed in either collision as of Tuesday although both investigations are ongoing.
Roberts has been stopped and cited by county law enforcement agencies a half dozen times this year, most recently on Dec. 8, for motor vehicle violations, including operating an unregistered vehicle, according to online court records.
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