A motor vehicle accident on the Jones Falls Expressway resulted in both a police officer and a tow truck driver who were attempting to assist being injured in a second subsequent accident. At approximately 6:15 p.m., the officer was engaged in an investigation of a single vehicle accident involving an SUV. That crash took place in the lanes heading south.
A Baltimore municipal tow truck also arrived on the scene to assist by towing away the damaged vehicle. The tow truck driver got out of his vehicle. A second SUV coming down the expressway hit the first SUV. The resulting impact hit the police officer hard and threw the tow truck driver approximately 25 feet down onto a grassy area after he was flung over a concrete barrier on the side of the road. The grassy area was then filled with tropical storm water runoff, which was waist high.
Both men were injured seriously enough to require hospitalization. The police officer’s major injury was to his leg. Both police officers and fire personnel arrived on the scene to assist the injured victims. None of the injuries resulting from the accident were classified as life threatening. During rescue efforts a number of lanes were shut down for a time. The investigation of the two accidents is ongoing, and it was not immediately clear whether the weather played a major role in the crashes.
It is more common than most people realize that the scene of an accident can become the site of subsequent collisions before damaged vehicles are removed off the road. Injured motorists, passengers, pedestrians, bike riders and rescue personnel all may have claims for injuries suffered in such circumstances. Following such an accident, consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney can be vital in determining just what claims should be asserted.