Update on Head-On Truck Crash

Just prior to 11 a.m. May 15, units from Hughesville and surrounding rescue companies were alerted to the intersection of Prince Fredrick Road and Teague’s Point Road for a head-on crash involving 2 a logging truck and a dump truck, reports Hughesville VFD Deputy Fire Chief Scott Herbert.

First arriving Charles County Deputies confirmed there were subjects trapped in two separate vehicles. A small passenger car was also involved.

The person in the passenger vehicle was partially ejected out the rear window and was pulled the rest of the way out by a CCSO Deputy so that patient care could be started.

The drivers of the dump truck and the logging truck were both trapped in their vehicles.

Rescue Squad 2 along with Rescue-Engine 52 started extricating the drivers.

The dump truck driver was removed first and turned over to waiting EMS personnel. The driver of the logging truck was pinned between the dashboard, steering wheel and seat.

Crews cut several items out of the way and rolled the dash to remove the subject (which took about 45 minutes to accomplish). All patients were flown from the scene to area trauma centers for treatment.

Crews worked at the scene for more than 5 hours to assist the Maryland State Police and cleaning up what looked like a “war zone” from all the debris and fluids that leaked from each of the vehicles.

St. Mary’s Squad 2 assisted with the extrication, Prince Frederick Engine 21 handled the 3 helicopters that landed on the scene, Special Unit 9 applied several bags of absorbent and fluid booms to control and prevent the hazardous fluids from contaminating the environment.

Maryland State police report the driver of the logging truck, John Warren Parks, 50, of Broomes Island, failed to slow down for a turning Ford Escort driven by James William Edwards, 42, of Mechanicsville, and struck the car in the rear.

The Escort was send into on coming traffic, where the driver of the dump truck, Robert Lee Kemp, 63, of Owings, swerved out of the way and truck Parks’ truck head-on.