Two people were critically injured yesterday morning in an accident on the Jones Falls Expressway that forced Baltimore police to shut down the southbound lanes for two hours, causing a traffic jam that stretched into Baltimore County.

The crash occurred about 10: 15 a.m. south of Cold Spring Lane.

Police said a taxicab plowed into the back of a pickup truck whose driver had stopped in a travel lane to assist his brother, who was stranded in a van in the middle of the highway.

Both brothers were hit by vehicles. One was found 25 feet from the site and the other was dragged several feet and pinned under the disabled van.

The cabdriver suffered a cut to his head and bruised ribs.

It took police until past noon to clear the wreckage and reopen the busy highway to traffic.

The backup stretched more than three miles and led to traffic tie-ups on side streets.

Agent Ragina L. Cooper, a police spokeswoman, said the problem began when a Ford Windstar van driven by Robert Owens, 48, of Northwest Baltimore, broke down in a travel lane of the three-lane highway.

She said his brother, Dennis McCray, 51, of Southwest Baltimore, stopped his Dodge Ram pickup behind the van and started directing traffic around the two vehicles.

Owens also got out of his van.

Police said a Checker Cab driven by Prince Anand, 39, could not get around the cars and struck the back of the pickup and McCray, causing him to hit the windshield and land 25 feet away.

The impact sent the truck into the back of the van, which ran over Owens and dragged him several feet. Owens was in critical condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center with injuries to his shoulder, back, ankle and chest.

McCray also was in critical condition at Shock Trauma with two broken legs and head injuries. Police said he was unconscious at the scene. Anand, also at the same hospital, was in serious condition.

Police said no charges have been filed but the accident remains under investigation.

Pub Date: 5/12/99