Two truck drivers were seriously injured in a bizarre, three-vehicle crash at Francis Scott Key Highway and Middleburg Road in Keymar yesterday.
Both men were flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore in state police MedEvac helicopters.
Donald Francis Mellon, 61, of northeast Baltimore was ejected through the front window of the Brody rental truck he was driving. James C. Schwartz, 22, of Trevorton, Pa., was trapped in the cab of his Weis Markets tractor trailer for more than 30 minutes before rescuers were able to extricate him, fire officials said.
Mr. Schwartz was listed in critical, stable condition at shock trauma last night, while hospital officials said Mr. Mellon was in serious, stable condition.
State police said the rental truck was northbound on Route 194 and attempted to pass a fully loaded milk tank truck on the right as the tanker was turning right onto Route 77.
The rental truck struck the right side of the milk truck and became airborne when it hit a chunk of concrete on the side of the highway.
The rental truck landed on the upper section of the Weis tractor, smashing the top of the cab onto Mr. Schwartz.
Police said Mr. Schwartz lost control of his truck when the cab was hit.
The truck crossed Route 194 and came to rest on the other side of the intersection.
The wheels of the tractor were still spinning and a witness, Tom Leach of Rocky Ridge, ran to the truck and shut off the motor off.
"I was sitting behind the tractor trailer and saw the rental truck on my left passing the milk truck on the right and become airborne and slam into the tractor," Mr. Leach said. "The small truck then rotated clockwise and came to rest against the right side of the trailer and was dragged backward across the highway.
"I saw the driver of the rental truck, which was now facing me, come flying out of the front windshield and land on the grass by the curb."
Mr. Leach said he ran into the nearby Crossroads Inn and asked workers there to call 911 before shutting off the engine of the Weis truck.
Employees and customers of the restaurant placed a blanket over Mr. Mellon to help keep him warm while waiting for emergency equipment to arrive.
Engines and rescue units from Carroll and Frederick Counties were dispatched and two state police helicopters landed behind the nearby post office building.
David Smith, 56, of New Windsor, driver of the milk truck, was not injured in the accident. The truck was towed to a dairy in Frederick where the 35,000 pounds of milk was unloaded.
State police from Westminster investigated the accident as a crash team and the truck enforcement crew assisted in the reconstruction, examination of the three vehicles and the diagram of the unusual crash.
Police said charges are pending.