One inmate is dead and three others are injured after a tractor-trailer driving on the highway lost control.
Maryland State Police say just before 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday a freightliner tractor-trailer was headed westbound on I-70 in the area of Route 17 in Myersville when it swerved across the solid white line and onto the right shoulder.
The tractor-trailer then hit a van which is owned and operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correction Services, then continued to hit two of six inmates that were working on the shoulder of the highway. Police say another two inmates were then injured after being struck by debris.
One of the inmates, a 34-year-old man, was killed in the crash. The other man that was hit directly by the tractor-trailer was taken by ambulance to a hospital with serious injuries. The other two inmates that were hit by debris were taken to the hospital with injuries as well.
After the initial crash, an unrelated dump truck and trailer combination then jack-knifed into the median to avoid the first accident. The tractor-trailer sustained damage to its fuel tanks and Hazmat crews were called to the scene to deal with the fuel spill.
All of the inmates have been secured and I-70 was shut down as a result of the crash. The cause is still under investigation.
