Last Friday evening, a Maryland State Police trooper in an unmarked patrol car struck two Berlin teenage brothers attempting to cross Route 113 near the intersection with Bay Street, claiming the life of one and sending the other to Shock Trauma in Baltimore where he continues to battle major injuries. While the investigation is ongoing, town officials and a groundswell of public support are already asking, even demanding, the State Highway Administration (SHA) make significant changes at the intersection and all along the dangerous stretch of Route 113.
Before dozens of concerned residents could present their case at Tuesday’s meeting, however, town officials announced they were already taking proactive actions to present their case to SHA. Council Vice President Elroy Brittingham read to the assembled crowd an official statement on behalf of absent Mayor Gee Williams.
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21 comments:
make it illegal for state troopers to talk on cell phones and drive. they are no better than the rest of us. i've had numerous close calls with idiot troopers flying down rt. 50 on their cell phones. they think there obombma. do as we say, not as we do.
I think they need one of them roadside memorials made out of flowers at the exact spot to help people remember to look both ways.
That intersection is no more dangerous than any other. The problem is the people using that intersection are more ignorant than most.
This is 2013, NOBODY needs to chase anyone on our highways or exceed the speed limits. See an infraction? Radio it in but don't try to chase an infraction. Simply use the technology made available. Donuts are NOT technology.
Maybe this kid would still be alive.
Jaywalkers ? Or did they cross at the light..article says near bay st intersection...sad this happened but they cross illegally all the time..i do agree with troopers and cell phone ...i have never not seen one on the road without a phone stucked on their ear
Troopers are allowed to drive 100 while on the computer and phone because they are TRAINED in this.
So there.
7:00 pm.... There was no chase involved in this incident.... Educate yourself, or risk sounding like an idiot.
Correct 9:30,
no chase. Just an overzealous punk with a badge breaking the law he is supposed to uphold.
Wow how about using some common sense. There is no crosswalk at that intersection. Doesn't matter if the pedestrian "thinks" they have the right of way or not they are in the wrong. Who remembers "look both ways before crossing the street?"
Traveling north on 113 this past saturday, the day after the accident, I passed by where the boys were hit. Flowers had already been placed in the center medium. That spot is about 100 feet north of the Bay street stoplight, so the boys chose to cross in a darkened area. 100 feet south was well lite and had the Bay street stoplight, so they made that choice not any cop nor anyone else. It was their responsibility to look at oncoming traffic with their headlights on. They were either coming or going to or from the area of Flower street. All locals know it as a drug area for 35 years or more. If they had been going to get something from the convenience store, they would have crossed at the stoplight. To try to lay the blame, without the slightest bit of evidence, on the young cop, is what cop haters do. If YOU had been driving, even at the speed limit and those same two kids ran out in front of you, you would be screaming to high heaven, it wasn't my fault. On one of the comment threads this week, someone said two back kids ran out in front of them several days before the accident at about the same spot and scared the hell out of him, barely missed the kids. How does that factor into your, cops are always to blame, regardless of facts. The simple truth is two people made a stupid choice and it cost one of them his life and the other his legs. The cop could have easily been any one of us.
It doesnt matter is there is a painted crosswalk or not, according to the law. There still is a crosswalk there.
12:39 AM
The spot you are referring to, 100ft past the stoplight, is that where they were hit; or where they landed after being hit? And are you going by where the flowers are placed to determine the spot they were hit, or another marker?
I too observed the area a few days later as I passed thru. The flowers are well north of the intersection, but the odd thing was that except for a circle of paint in the roadway there was no indication that anything had occurred. Normally in a fatality the investigation uses all the paint the nearest hardware store has to mark things. Not this time. Also, the story reported that the trooper involved had been transported with injuries. For what? I didn't see any damage or any indication that anything had been replaced or repaired. Also missing? Skid marks. Not even the slightest hint of one. Just seems odd.
Where is the dash cam footage?
If it were a private citizen that hit the pedestrians, there would be charges, investigations, impounding the vehicle. Because it was a state trooper, we need to change the intersection.
Why isn't this state trooper cowboy in jail pending charges?
Oh come on. As much as I dislike cops myself, I'm not going to hang this one just yet. I think we all have had someone dart out in front of us that we couldn't see. I know I have, luckily I have never hit anyone, although at times I felt like it, after I calmed down. lol.
People sometimes are hard to see at night, especially in dark clothes. And even more so if the skin is dark.
If this was truly an accident, I'm sure the cop feels like shit to begin with for killing somebody and hurting another. We don't need to add insult to injury in this case.
There are far more cases which really deserve our ire over INTENTIONALLY killing someone or their pets.
Give him a break and let's find out what really happened, first.
I drove by the accident Friday night at around 8:30 or 8:40pm. Rt 113 was closed northbound. An investigation was in full swing. Emergency personnel were walking a line together shoulder to shoulder. I assume that was done to look for evidence.
The area the boys were struck, not were they landed, is about 100 feet or more from the signal. It is marked on the road with several green paint marks. There were skid marks. I drive this road daily. The area they were hit also has a fence on the right side between the houses and rt 113. The fence is low at that area. Also the highway medium has a metal divider from Bay St to the next cross over. That was installed a year or 2 ago. I'm guessing they were installed to prevent people from crossing the highway. Several years prior a man was hit and killed several 100 feet north of this accident but in the southbound lanes.
I know when I was younger less cautious I figured since I could see a cars headlights they could see me walking. I know that's not true now. We need to take responsibility for ourselves and our safety.
The officer wreaked his car after the accident and crawled out and moved the boys off the highway so no one else would hit them. He started first aid.
This is a horrible accident. Both families lives have changed. I pray for them.
Now for some of you writing comments, do you realize how mean you sound? And petty? If you don't know the facts, don't comment. Dont speculate. I bet if you were asked to describe yourselves you would say you are honest, caring, and good. Please look at what you write and see how it might be mean and evil before you click "publish".
I'm extremely sorry the young man died, but we all know you need to be cautious when crossing a busy highway such as 113 - or any highway, for that matter. I can't see where the blame could be placed on anything or anyone but himself.
Definitely, I was going by where the flowers were placed, as I barely even noticed them, as I was driving home from Snow Hill saturday afternoon and had not heard about the accident at that point in time. I simply assumed that was the spot, I could easily be wrong??
Can we make jaywalking illegal here?????
Oh, wait. It already is.
I see wboc is doing a story like this now. they posted it on fb with the same pic even lol
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