Gamber & Community Fire Company units were alerted for a motor vehicle accident at approximately 4:30 in the afternoon on Thursday, February 21. The original location of the incident was identified as Deer Park Road and Route 91. Units responded from the firehouse and Chief 13-1 responded to the scene in his vehicle. The location was changed to Route 91 midway between Deer Park Road and Cold Saturday Drive. First on the scene, Chief 13-1 reported a working rescue with patients trapped and one fatality. A Chevrolet Denali sports utility vehicle had collided with an Utz Potato Chip delivery truck and both vehicles came to rest on the westbound shoulder.
The sports utility vehicle had six children on board in addition to the driver who was deceased. The delivery truck was occupied by just the driver. Units from Gamber assisted by Rescue 9 from Reese & Community Volunteer Fire Co. worked to extricate the patients.
Two of the more seriously injured children were flown out by MSP Medevac helicopter to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Trauma Center in Baltimore. The remaining four children were transported to Carroll Hospital Center by ambulances from Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department and Baltimore County Station 56. The driver of the delivery truck was transported by MSP helicopter to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.
Once the patients were treated and transported, units remained on the scene awaiting the medical examiner and the Maryland State Police accident reconstruction team. Dive 13 responded later in the call to provide lighting for the investigation which went into the evening hours.
Route 91 remained closed for almost three hours at the peak of rush hour. Gamber Fire Police and the State Highway Administration assisted with traffic control. All of the major television stations in Baltimore were providing live video coverage of the incident from helicopters. At one point during the incident, there were two State Police helicopters on the scene and three television helicopters in the air.
All units cleared and returned to service by 7:30 pm.
Units:
Engine 131, Reserve Engine 134, Paramedic 139, LS 13, Utility 13, Duty 13, Chief 13-1, Dive 13, Gamber Fire Police
Mutual Aid:
Rescue 9 and Paramedic 99 (Reese), Medic 56 (Baltimore County), Medics 128 and 129 (Sykesville), Troopers 1 and 3, MSP, SHA
Two vehicles on the shoulder of Rt. 91 after a serious collision. Rescue 9 and E 131 are shown after the extrication.
The Utz delivery truck shows serious front end damage after the collision.
One MSP Trooper departs the scene with patients while the second helicopter prepares to land.
One MSP Trooper waits on the scene for its patients prior to transport.
