Maryland road safety advocate pushing for changes after week of crashes

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A massive pileup in Montgomery County on Saturday capped off a week marred by major crashes in Maryland.

According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service officials, a moving truck lost control and slammed into several vehicles at the intersection of Columbia Pike (U.S. 29) and Fairland Road.

RELATED | 18 evaluated, 10 hospitalized after moving truck slams into 7 vehicles in Maryland

The shocking images from the scene, which included a Tesla Cybertruck getting split in half, spread throughout social media.

Nobody was killed, but first responders brought 10 people – including three children – to the hospital for minor injuries. They’re all expected to survive.

As of publication, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) is still investigating.

Safe Roads Maryland Founder and Chair John Seng told 7News that this crash and the deadly incidents earlier in the week should be a wake-up call.

“State leaders shouldn’t have to wait for bloodshed to act. If we’re smart about people and our constituents, and we care about our people’s lives, certainly the numbers and the visual stories we see are enough to suggest that more needs to be done,” Seng said.

Saturday’s incident comes just days after two deadly crashes in Prince George’s County.

The first happened at the intersection of Governor’s Park Lane and Crain Highway, killing three people.

RELATED | “It’s hard for everybody”: Grieving father speaks after daughter killed in rideshare crash

Law enforcement officials said a black Tesla Model 3 was attempting to turn left from Crain Highway onto Governors Park Lane, but failed to yield to a southbound Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The motorcycle collided with the passenger side of the Tesla, police said.

Carl Watson’s daughter, Adriana Maxwell, was a passenger in that Tesla, which was serving as a rideshare at the time of the crash.

“It’s just so hard. I’ve been trying to deal with everything that’s going on,” Watson told 7News. “I just really miss her, and wished this never happened.”

Watson also said the community has long called for more road safety measures.

“They need to figure out another way to turn into this neighborhood. They’re building all of these developments. You’re taking a chance to turn into it,” Watson said. “It would take nothing to put a traffic signal with a turn signal for people who have to come into this neighborhood.”

Just days later, another crash in Prince George’s County killed three victims.

That incident involved a motorcycle and two cars at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and Metzerott Road in the Adelphi area.

RELATED | 3 ID’d in deadly Prince George’s County crash involving motorcycle

At a press conference, Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy said a plan with 60 “concrete actions” will be ready in the fall to address road safety concerns.

“My Department of Public Works and Transportation is leading the development of the Road to Zero Action Plan, a data-driven, community-informed strategy that will be released this fall,” Braveboy said. “We are planning changes that will include traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps improved with more visible signage, enhanced sidewalks, roundabouts, and improved roadway configurations.”

In the meantime, Seng said the community needs to continue pushing for enhanced safety measures like this.

“There’s a mindset we believe people have that bad things happen to other people, these crashes. The first reaction is, ‘Wow, I’m glad that wasn’t my family. I’m glad that didn’t happen to me. I’m glad I live another day,” Seng said. “Rally your neighbors. Don’t wait for some family member to be affected. You are affected by the fact we all are driving on these roads that are very hazardous.”