This just in from St. Mary's Sheriff's Department:
On Oct. 26 at approximately 6:54 am on Hollywood Road near Jefferson Street/Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, a 2001 Ford Windstar van driven by Benjamin Allen, 19 of Prince Frederick, collided with two bicyclists and an Amish horse and buggy trailering two canoes.
Investigation revealed several Amish horse and buggies were stopped for the light at the intersection of Hollywood Road and Point Lookout Road. The last buggy was pulling a trailer containing two canoes. Two bicycles were behind the horse and buggies in the line. The driver of the Ford Windstar collided with the two cyclists and the buggy trailering the canoes which then struck another horse and buggy.
The two cyclists, male age 17 of Leonardtown, and female age 17 of Mechanicsville, along with Allen were transported to St. Mary’s Hospital. Allen and the juvenile female were treated and released. The juvenile male was subsequently transported to the Washington Hospital Center. He is currently listed in fair/stable condition.
The driver of the horse and buggy trailering the canoes, male 17 of Mechanicsville, along with the passengers, two females ages 17 of Mechanicsville and one male age 18 of Mechanicsville, were not injured. The driver of the second horse and buggy, male age 17 of Mechanicsville and three female passengers, age 17 of Mechanicsville, 17 of Hollywood and 18 of Mechanicsville were not injured.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff's Office Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the accident investigation. The investigation is continuing. Speed and alcohol were not factors in this accident.
Just before 7 a.m. on Oct. 26, units from Leonardtown Rescue Squad and St. Mary's County Sheriffs Office responded to an accident believed to involve a horse and buggy at 22955 Hollywood Road in the area of Brinsfield Funeral Home in Leonardtown.
Upon arrival, units determined the accident involved two horse and buggies, both pulling trailers with canoes, two bicyclists and a minivan. All vehicles were traveling east on Hollywood Road, when the minivan struck the two bicyclists, causing a chain reaction crash. Multiple people were injured.
Units requested a medavac, but due to weather the helicopters were not flying. One bicyclist was transported to St. Mary's Hospital by Leonardtown Rescue Squad. The victim was later flown by Medstar to Washington Hospital Center.
Ambulances from Leonardtown and Hollywood took the other bicyclist and the driver of the van to St. Mary's Hospital.
Another ambulance arrived from Lexington Park to transport the remaining patients from the buggy to St. Mary's Hospital. The victims in the buggies were not seriously injured. They signed refusals to deny further care at the hospital.
The cause of the crash and current condition of the patients is unknown at this time.
More details to follow as they become available.
