A quiet Thursday morning in Charlotte Hall turned deadly when a head-on collision on Budds Creek Road left one person dead and another badly hurt, shutting down a key stretch of the roadway while first responders worked the scene.
According to Southern Maryland News Net, police, firefighters and emergency medical services were dispatched at about 6:00 a.m. to the area of Budds Creek Road and Allen's Fresh Road for a serious two-vehicle crash with entrapment. Crews found one occupant trapped and unresponsive and later pronounced that person dead at the scene. A second occupant, a 20-year-old man, was conscious with injuries to his head and upper body. Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 7 landed nearby and flew the 20-year-old to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center.
What dispatchers and crews reported
The BayNet reported that the first 911 calls came in around 5:58 a.m., with callers initially saying a vehicle had left the roadway near Budds Creek Road and Stines Store Road. Responders soon determined the incident involved two vehicles in a head-on collision. A Maryland State Police helicopter was placed on pre-launch status, and by about 6:16 a.m., emergency personnel advised that the trapped occupant had died at the scene.
Rapid medevac and hospital care
Responders set up a landing zone for the medevac and then shifted it to a hard surface to help facilitate the air transport, a move that forced Budds Creek Road to remain closed while crews operated, according to Southern Maryland News Net. The 20-year-old patient was taken to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, a Level II trauma center in Largo with rooftop helipads, as noted by UM Capital Region Medical Center.
Investigation and local context
Budds Creek Road has seen multiple serious crashes in recent years, according to county reporters, and local outlets have frequently documented medevac responses and traffic shutdowns along this stretch. Maryland State Police are leading the investigation into the latest fatal wreck and have not yet released the names of those involved, pending notification of family members, The BayNet reported.
