A fatal 50 car pile-up closes I-70 west bound on South Mountain in Washington County

WASHINGTON COUNTY, MD - On January 19, 2009 9-1-1 lines at Washington County Emergency Communications lit up like a Christmas tree as dispatchers became swamped as a mass casualty incident was unfolding on South Mountain. Dispatchers fielded well over 20 calls reporting multiple vehicles crashing as they were coming down the mountain from the Frederick County line. Crews from Mt Aetna Fire, Myersville Fire, Funkstown Fire, Community Rescue, Smithsburg EMS, Middletown EMS and Washington County Special Operations 20 were immediately dispatched out as calls continued to pour in on 9-1-1 at 12:18 p.m.

As units responded to the incident, information was given by dispatch reporting multiple vehicles involved. One additional Rescue Squad from Community Rescue was also started due to the severity of the incident. Emergency personnel were faced with severe road conditions as the approached the scene coming the wrong way up south mountain.

Deputy Chief Sprecher from Community Rescue was one of the first arriving EMT’s on the scene to find over 50 people screaming for help. Lieutenant Trumpower on Engine 161 assumed I70 Command as they arrived on the scene behind Deputy Chief Sprecher. At his request, Command immediately requested three additional medic units and the County Mass Casualty Unit to the scene. As additional assistance arrived, crews began splitting up to fully assess the scene. Assistant Chief Hays was placed in charge of EMS sector, Chief Bentley of Special Operations was in charge of Rescue as Frederick County Chief Breeze from Myersville assisted Command on the east side of the incident that was spread out nearly a half mile.

As additional EMS and fire units from different parts of the county were called in, initial crews were overwhelmed with the number of people involved in the crash. Crews worked diligently extricating seven patients from the wreckage while walking wounded were directed west of the incident and placed in waiting ambulances while other EMS crews tended to the seriously injured.

As crews worked on the scene, buses from County Commuter and the Board of Ed were started out to the incident to assist with the transport of walking wounded and non-injured personnel. The Humane Society was also called out to assist with pets found in the wreckage. Command also foreseen the operation to be lengthy and requested the County Rehab Unit to the scene as well.

Medical crews worked on the scene for nearly and hour and a half evaluating and packaging patients as they were being extricated from the vehicles. By 2:00 p.m., a majority of the patients had been transported to Washington County Trauma Center. Waynesboro Hospital was also placed on alert but was fortunately no needed.

Within that first hour and a half, EMS evaluated over 50 people. A total of approximately 14 patients were transported from the scene after seven patients were extricated from their vehicles. Two occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

The buses from County Commuter and the Board of Ed transported approximately 62 people from the incident to fixed sheltering at the Red Cross Complex on Conrad Court in Hagerstown. Williamsport EMS with Chief Snyder of Smithsburg EMS and Community Rescue responded out to evaluate some of the patients from the incident. Two additional were transported to Washington County for evaluation while Emergency Management and the Red Cross worked to accommodated the people stranded in Hagerstown.

By 3:05 that afternoon, Command was able to release most units from the scene. Company 16, Frederick 8, Rescue Squad 10, Special Operations and Unit 255 remained on the scene assisting MSP as needed during their investigation of the incident. Final fire department crews cleared the incident around 6:00 p.m. when Command was terminated and declared fire department operations complete.

Interstate 70 remained closed till 11:00 p.m. as salvage crews came in to assist in removal of the vehicles involved and while State Police reconstruction investigators worked to determine what happened. Special Operations responded back out later that night to assist with some of the trucks leaking diesel fuel and other fluids as they were being removed. Crews that afternoon were faced with approximately 40 passenger vehicles, seven tractor-trailers and three to four box trucks. Out of those transported to Washington County Trauma, three patients were Priority 1’s, which included one patient who lost his leg in the accident. The remaining patients were classified as Priority 2’s and 3’s mainly for check-up due to the seriousness of the incident and mechanism of some of their injuries.

Fire crews responding to the MCI on I70 consisted of Mt. Aetna Fire Co.16, Frederick Engine Co.8 out of Myersville, Funkstown Fire Co.10, Washington County Special Operations and Boonsboro Fire Co.6. EMS operations consisted of Community Rescue Service Co.75, Smithsburg EMS Co.79, Middletown Fire & EMS Co.7, Boonsboro EMS Co.69, Volunteer Fire Company of Halfway Co.26, Williamsport Fire & EMS Co.2, Clear Spring EMS Co.49, Frederick City Medic 100, Frederick EMS 901, and Myersville EMS Ambulance 89. Support services for the incident included the Division of Fire and Emergency Services 1801-Director Kevin Lewis & EMS18- Bridgette Heller, Emergency Management Verna Brown, Washington County Special Operations 20, Washington County Rehab unit 255, Washington County Humane Society, Hagerstown Chapter of the American Red Cross, County Commuter, Washington County Board of Ed, State Highway Administration and Maryland State Police. Additional support was rendered by medic 98 from Berkley County, Mont Alto Ambulance 58 from Franklin County and Thurmont Ambulance 308 from Frederick who transferred in to Williamsport and Smithsburg areas to help cover while Washington County unit were committed on the interstate.