Six construction workers died after a car hit them on Interstate 695 in Baltimore County on Wednesday afternoon after a driver entered a work zone, Maryland State Police said.
Troopers responded about 12:40 p.m. to the inner loop of I-695 at Security Boulevard in Woodlawn for a reported pedestrian crash, police said in a statement.
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According to an initial investigation, the driver of a gray Acura, later identified as Lisa Adrienna Lea, 54, of Randallstown, Md., was attempting to change lanes when her car struck the front corner panel on the passenger side of a Volkswagen driven by Melachi Brown, 20, of Windsor Mill, Md. That caused the Acura to lose control and hit several highway workers before overturning, police said.
Lea, who was the sole occupant of the Acura, was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Brown did not report injuries, police said.
The identities of the deceased have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
Nathan J. Beil, chief executive of KCI, one of the companies involved in the construction project, said Thursday he still had little information about what happened.
“It’s a very difficult time,” Beil said. “The firms involved are simply focusing on the human element.”
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a tweet: “On behalf of all the residents of Baltimore County, we offer our sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in today’s tragic crash and my prayers remain with those injured in this horrific incident.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore tweeted: “My heart goes out to the victims and the families affected by the tragic crash on the 695 beltway this afternoon,” and said his office is in contact with local authorities.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced late Wednesday that it would be sending personnel to assist with the investigation.
Between 2016 and 2020, Maryland had 7,704 work zone-related crashes that injured 3,263 people, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation, while 46 people were killed. About half of those killed or injured were motorists, according to MDOT.
Michael Sakata, chief executive of the Maryland Transportation Builders & Materials Association, said state authorities have put a fresh emphasis on work zone safety since the start of the pandemic, a period in which road deaths have risen dramatically. Those efforts included a safety summit a few weeks ago, Sakata said.
“It’s definitely something that MDOT has had a refocus on,” Sakata said. “You’ve seen vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed.”
The state says speeding, distracted driving and following too closely are the top causes of the crashes.
Troopers responded about 12:40 p.m. to the inner loop of I-695 at Security Boulevard in Woodlawn for a reported pedestrian crash, police said in a statement.
Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.
According to an initial investigation, the driver of a gray Acura, later identified as Lisa Adrienna Lea, 54, of Randallstown, Md., was attempting to change lanes when her car struck the front corner panel on the passenger side of a Volkswagen driven by Melachi Brown, 20, of Windsor Mill, Md. That caused the Acura to lose control and hit several highway workers before overturning, police said.
Lea, who was the sole occupant of the Acura, was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Brown did not report injuries, police said.
The identities of the deceased have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
Nathan J. Beil, chief executive of KCI, one of the companies involved in the construction project, said Thursday he still had little information about what happened.
“It’s a very difficult time,” Beil said. “The firms involved are simply focusing on the human element.”
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a tweet: “On behalf of all the residents of Baltimore County, we offer our sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in today’s tragic crash and my prayers remain with those injured in this horrific incident.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore tweeted: “My heart goes out to the victims and the families affected by the tragic crash on the 695 beltway this afternoon,” and said his office is in contact with local authorities.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced late Wednesday that it would be sending personnel to assist with the investigation.
Between 2016 and 2020, Maryland had 7,704 work zone-related crashes that injured 3,263 people, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation, while 46 people were killed. About half of those killed or injured were motorists, according to MDOT.
Michael Sakata, chief executive of the Maryland Transportation Builders & Materials Association, said state authorities have put a fresh emphasis on work zone safety since the start of the pandemic, a period in which road deaths have risen dramatically. Those efforts included a safety summit a few weeks ago, Sakata said.
“It’s definitely something that MDOT has had a refocus on,” Sakata said. “You’ve seen vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed.”
The state says speeding, distracted driving and following too closely are the top causes of the crashes.
