Treacherous road design and fog might have combined to leave three men dead in a car accident involving a tractor-trailer.
The accident, which occurred in Jacksonville, Maryland, just north of Baltimore, happened as the truck, hauling 45,000 pounds of milk, drove southbound on Jarrettsville Pike near Dulaney Valley Road. A Volkswagen Jetta, traveling north, lost control and wound up in the southbound lane, where it struck the tractor-trailer, The Jetta flipped and landed in a ditch.
The truck crashed into a tree before flipping onto private property. The owner of that property said in the few years he has lived there, he has seen at least 10 accidents on what he heard was legendarily known as “Dead Man’s Curve.” A thick fog also reportedly obstructed the curve that day.
The driver, age 46, and a 24-year-old passenger died at the scene. Another 25-year-old man died at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma about six hours after the crash.
The tractor-trailer driver, 43, also was taken to the hospital for doctors to evaluate him for possible leg and rib injuries. The owner of the trucking company said the company would see to it that he got counseling or whatever support he needed after the fatal accident.
The relatives of the victims should not discount the danger of the road as they ponder whether to file a civil suit against the government agency that is responsible for the road design and maintenance. It appears that more should be done to limit collisions at that point.
