Investigation and charges
Maryland State Police have not determined what caused the crash, and impairment may have played a role, according to the police account reported by Patch. The Maryland State Police Crash Team is investigating. Charges are pending; after the investigation, the case is expected to go to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for review, Eye On Annapolis reported.
Crash details
Police identified the drivers as Javed Iqbal, 47, of Baltimore, and Darrell Lamont Gough, 62, of Elkridge, in an account reported by Patch. Gough’s Mercedes Model S entered the work zone and struck a 31-year-old highway worker and a portable light tower after hitting Iqbal’s Toyota Camry, which was slowing for a lane closure. The crash occurred at about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday on northbound Interstate 97 near Route 32.
The worker was transported by ground ambulance to a local trauma center, and authorities have not released the worker’s identity or described the injuries, according to Eye On Annapolis and Patch.
Response at the scene
A Maryland state trooper was nearby in a marked patrol vehicle with its emergency lights on, Eye On Annapolis reported. Troopers from the Glen Burnie and Annapolis barracks and county emergency medical personnel responded. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration assisted with lane closures, which lasted about three hours. No other injuries were reported, according to Eye On Annapolis.
National work-zone safety context
That national trend does not quantify Maryland’s work-zone crashes or serious injuries in 2023. According to the Federal Highway Administration, work-zone fatalities nationwide decreased by 7 percent between 2021 and 2022, while overall roadway fatalities declined by 1.7 percent.
