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Investigation Continues Into Fatal Crash On WB I-70 In Frederick County

January 26th, 2017 by WCBC Radio

(Frederick, MD) – Maryland State Police continue to investigate an early morning fatal crash in Frederick that claimed the life of an individual. 

The identity of the deceased victim has not yet been confirmed. The individual was the sole occupant of a Nissan Rogue involved in the crash and pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS responders.

Three dump trucks were also involved in the crash. Two of the drivers, Shawn Gill, 46, of Gaithersburg, and Mark Tew, 27, of Hanover, were transported to Frederick Memorial Hospital. One of the drivers, Richard Aldar, 53, of Sykesville, refused medical treatment at the scene.

            The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly after 9:00 a.m., all four vehicles were traveling westbound on I-70 at the ramp from northbound I-270 in Frederick. 

            Police believe Aldar, the driver of one of the dump trucks, stopped in lane 3 on westbound I-70 due to a motorcade passing through the area. A second dump truck, being operated by Tew, subsequently stopped as did the driver of the Nissan Rogue. The third dump truck, operated by Gill, slammed into the rear of the Nissan, causing all four vehicles to collide into one another.

After the impact, an explosion occurred for unknown reasons at this time. Two of the dump trucks and the Nissan Rogue became engulfed in flames. The third dump truck sustained minimal fire damage due to its proximity to the other vehicles. 

             The reconstruction of the incident is being conducted by troopers assigned to the Maryland State Police CRASH Team.  Personnel from the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division responded and are inspecting the commercial vehicles involved while assisting with the investigation. Assistance was also provided by Frederick County Fire and EMS at the scene.

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration CHART Team responded quickly and established detours around the area.  Lanes were closed for approximately  seven hours.

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