A crash in Pikesville on Wednesday involving an MTA bus injured dozens of people, triggering a massive response that included 15 ambulances, Medevac helicopters, a Shock Trauma team and first responders from adjacent counties.
Authorities called it a mass casualty incident.
Emergency crews were called at about 5:48 p.m on July 8 to respond to the 1500 block of Reisterstown Road. While there is no report yet on the cause of the crash, Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon told reporters that the southbound MTA bus hit 11 other vehicles before coming to a stop after crashing into a FedEx building on the corner of Reisterstown Road and Old Court Road, across the street from the shopping center that houses Goldberg’s Bagels.
Power lines were downed during the crash, with BGE on-scene soon after.
More than 100 first responders were at the site of the crash and 15 ambulances were utilized.
Dixon told CBS News Baltimore that the crash was “more like a war scene” than that of a standard vehicle crash.
Baltimore County Police said on Thursday that the bus driver suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown to a hospital, with 35 other victims suffering varying degrees of injury that led to hospitalization. All were taken to hospitals by 7:18 p.m., according to WBAL-TV.
A representative of the Maryland State Highway Administration told Baltimore Jewish Times that Reisterstown Road around the crash is now open after originally being closed in both directions between Old Court Road and Sudbrook Lane.
Social media footage from the aftermath of the crash shows mayhem — the downed power lines, at least one vehicle flipped over, debris all over the street, numerous emergency responders and plenty of witnesses gathered, filming everything.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement that his office is paying close attention to the situation.
“My administration is closely monitoring the situation following the multi-vehicle crash involving a MTA bus in Baltimore County. Dawn and I are keeping everyone impacted in our hearts and prayers,” he said. “We are deeply grateful for our first responders who acted with speed and skill to ensure the safety of our neighbors. We’ve been in close coordination with local officials to provide any support needed on the ground.”
aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com
