Tanker Truck Crash at Old Central Avenue Injures Three; Teen Critical

A crash at the intersection of Crain Highway (U.S. Route 301) and Old Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro sent three people to area hospitals Sunday after a tanker truck collided with at least one other vehicle, authorities said. Prince George’s County Fire/EMS crews found multiple injured people and a tanker on the roadside as hazmat teams secured the vehicle’s cargo.

Prince George’s County Fire/EMS units were dispatched just after 2:15 p.m., and Maryland State Police troopers from the College Park Barracks responded around 2:20 p.m. “Troopers from the College Park Barracks responded around 2:20 p.m. to Crain Highway at Old Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro for reports of a two-vehicle crash,” state officials said, and “state troopers said preliminary findings show the crash involved a tractor-trailer tanker and an SUV.”

Three people were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. “One minor was ejected from one of the cars involved in the crash,” and “the victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition,” according to initial emergency reports. Authorities indicated two of the injured were teenagers and a third was an adult; one adolescent was reported critical, a second teen had serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the third person was transported for medical evaluation.

Accounts of exactly which vehicle the ejected person occupied conflict in initial reports. One local report said, “One occupant of the tanker was ejected from the vehicle, authorities reported,” while other emergency summaries describe the ejected person as a juvenile from a passenger car. The condition of the tanker driver also remained unclear; “the condition of the tanker driver is unknown at this time,” emergency dispatch logs show.

Hazardous-material crews were directed to the scene to secure the tanker’s contents. “A hazmat team was directed to the scene to handle the contents of the tanker. It’s unclear what contents were being transported,” officials said, and crews worked through the afternoon to stabilize the vehicle while medics treated patients on site.

Southbound Crain Highway was closed in the wake of the collision; traffic reports noted that as of 3:45 p.m. southbound lanes were shut, and later accounts said a single lane was opened as crews continued to investigate and clear the scene. Maryland State Police are leading the investigation, and Prince George’s County Fire/EMS assisted at the scene; Prince George’s County Police were also reported present during the response.

Investigators have not released a cause, the identities or ages of the victims, the tanker’s cargo, the names of hospitals receiving patients, or any information on charges or citations. State troopers continue to collect evidence at Crain Highway and Old Central Avenue as they work to reconcile conflicting accounts of vehicle count and who was ejected. Updates will be released by Maryland State Police and Prince George’s County Fire/EMS as the investigation develops.