A massive crash that closed roads and sent smoke billowing into the air for miles was cleared, but a 7-year-old boy was among the dead when a tractor-trailer plowed into a line of 12 cars Monday morning.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted his condolences to the families of 7-year-old Tripp Johnson, of Joppa, Maryland, and 65-year-old Andrew Klein, of Forest Hill, Maryland. They were both killed in the fiery pileup at a busy intersection along Route 24 near Bel Air, Maryland, at 7 a.m. Monday.
For reasons still unknown, the driver of a tractor-trailer traveling south on Route 24 didn’t stop approaching the intersection of West Ring Factory Road, crashing into multiple vehicles, Maryland State Police said.
The impact caused the truck to catch fire, which quickly spread to the two cars pinned beneath it.
Sending prayers to everyone involved in this morning’s devastating accident, including the families and loved ones of the two victims who lost their lives. My deepest gratitude goes to the first responders who rushed to the scene. https://t.co/7NEyjDgEIw
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) March 11, 2019
2 dead in serious crash involving 12 cars on Route 24 https://t.co/f8jDFq42dc pic.twitter.com/yi7jP2b2K0
— WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore (@wbaltv11) March 11, 2019
Three other people were taken to hospitals. First responders who rushed to extinguish the fire and reach the victims said debris was strewn a quarter-mile past the accident.
The crash blocked traffic for hours, and state police said it remains under investigation.
