(St. Michaels, MD) – Two people were killed this afternoon in a Talbot County crash that involved a state trooper who was responding to a call for a personal injury vehicle crash.
The victims are identified as Maynard W. Lowry, 88, of Tilghman, Md., and his sister, Alma Lowry, 87, also of Tilghman. Mr. Lowry was pronounced dead at the scene. Ms. Lowry was taken by ambulance to Easton Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly before 5:30 p.m. today.
The trooper involved in the crash is identified as Trooper First Class Philip W. Willoughby, 28, who is assigned to road patrol duties at the Easton Barracks. TFC Willoughby has been a member of the Maryland State Police for seven and one-half years. He was flown by State Police medevac to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he was treated for lacerations and contusions before being released this evening.
Shortly before 3:00 p.m. today, TFC Willoughby had just begun his tour of duty when he heard a Talbot County 9-1-1 dispatch for a reported personal injury crash involving an overturned vehicle on Old Trappe Road between Easton and Trappe. He was traveling east on Rt. 33 in St. Michaels at the time and radioed the Easton Barracks to advise he would be en route to the crash.
According to numerous witnesses, TFC Willoughby activated his emergency lights and siren on his marked patrol car and proceeded east on Rt. 33. Witnesses told State Police investigators they heard the siren and saw the emergency lights as the trooper traveled east on the 35 mph roadway and approached a shopping center just east of Madison Avenue. Witnesses said there were no cars in front of the trooper on the straight and level roadway as he neared the shopping center entrance.
The preliminary investigation indicates Mr. Lowry, who was driving a four-door 1987 Toyota Cressida, pulled from the shopping center parking lot onto Rt. 33 and into the path of the trooper. The trooper’s 2006 Ford Crown Victoria struck the Toyota on the driver’s side.
The trooper kicked his way out of his patrol car and attempted to provide assistance to the couple in the car. The St. Michael’s Fire Department and other area EMS resources responded and provided assistance.
The fatal collision is being investigated by the Maryland State Police CRASH Team, which will conduct a detailed crash reconstruction. The speed the trooper was traveling when the crash occurred has not been determined and will be part of the continuing investigation. Mr. Scott Patterson, Talbot County State’s Attorney, has been informed of this incident and has agreed to review the investigation upon its completion.
Traffic on Rt. 33 was slowed for several hours tonight and was detoured around the crash scene. Personnel from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, St. Michael’s Police Department, and the State Highway Administration assisted with traffic direction and detours.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
17 comments:
This is tragic; my prayers are with the family of the deceased and also with the trooper.
Their little dog was also killed in the car.
When will people wake up and realize not only should there be a driving test for young adults but one for elderly too. When you get older your vision is impaired, your reflexes are slower, which sounds alot like the same thing a drunk driver experiences. They should be given a drivers test, vision test at the very least once a year. God bless the families of all involved in this tragedy.
I agree with anon 612, but several questions also come to mind.
1) Why was the dispatcher responding to the call? He wasn't dispatched, he was listening to the scanner like a squirrel. If he didn't respond to the call and speeding like a bat out of hell the older folks would be alive today.
2) Why was he flown to Shock Trauma and treated and released? The article states he was conscious and alert and kicked himself out of the vehicle and rendered aid to the couple. If he was that stable he certainly didn't need to be flown via helicopter to shock trauma. Was he given special treatment because he was an MSP Trooper? Why didn't the older lady get flown to Shock Trauma? Was the field providers that incompetent to know that the trooper didn't need to be flown to Shock Trauma? How much did that flight cost the tax payers? This is unadulterated abuse of the helicopter system in the state of Maryland!!
Indeed, this is tragic and our prayers are with the Lowry Family.
The accident that the Trooper was responding to was between Easton & Trappe? The Easton Barrack, Barrack "I", is in close proximity. The Trooper responded from West of St. Michaels... I heard and saw him responding as he went thru Town & the stretch of road where the accident occurred is a very busy commercial area with many entrances & exits.
Witnesses at the scene that I spoke to estimated the the Trooper was traveling, at least, 80-90 MPH. The was a lot of anger among the eye witnesses... I saw that the Lowry's car was struck squarely in the driver's side door. No one could have survived that impact.
The original post carefully includes information... I'd guess directly from MSP, that would exonerate the Trooper.
Why was it necessary for this Trooper to be responding from such a far distance, in this manner, when the Barrack was within close proximity? That will be the question that the locals will ask.
Again, our prayers extended.
St. Michaels Local
I never could understand why the Police respond to accident scenes at Mach I speeds. When they get there, they stand around until the rescue teams do their jobs. Where's the need for speed?
Does anyone know where I can see a picture of the elderly folks' car. I had a car pull out in front of me in front of the Queenstown outlets about 2 hours earlier in a brown four door sedan that looked pretty old. Two very old people in a car pulled right out in front of me and they were extremely lucky I was able to stop. And I am not kidding, it took every bit of my anti-locks not to hit them. They then headed up Route 301 IN THE WRONG DIRECTION for about 50 yards before u-turning back into the outlets. Extremely dangerous. Wodering if it could be the same old couple. Thanks
I wonder if this will be classified under "Unavoidable" fatal accident. Rest assured, they will find a way to fully blame the now deceased, elderly couple.
Anonymous said...
I wonder if this will be classified under "Unavoidable" fatal accident. Rest assured, they will find a way to fully blame the now deceased, elderly couple.
12:56 PM
If he wasn't freelancing on the call he shouldn't have been responding at a high rate of speed. He had no business responding to the call that he heard on his Radio Shack scanner, he wasn't dispatched. It is clearly his fault the elderly couple was killed. Yes they may be to old to drive and may have contributed to the accident, but there is no law that says they can't. What if he was an MSP motorcycle cop traveling at that high rate of speed. Who would have been the fatal then? Police officers need to exercise extreme caution as well.
the trooper was responding to a MVC. there was no reason for the trooper to go at a high rate of speed....because it wouldnt of made a difference or not if he would of gotten there 5 min later.
he risked his life and others ppl life 2 respond 2 a MVC
Wow, so quick to blame the Trooper when I would doubt any of the previous posters actually witnessed this accident.
First off, Anon 7:25am "listening to the scanner like a squirrel". I guess you meant, listening to his issued radio which also broadcasts Talbot Sheriff's Office? Police are limited and if someone is available and within reasonable proximity they frequently back each other up on calls no matter what department they work for. Second, the reason that the Trooper was flown is because he has pre existing injuries from an accident he was involved in as a passenger months ago. MSP Helicopters can not fly patients unless they are stable, the elderly man was dead and the woman was on the immediate brink. MSP routinely flies out Troopers when they are involved in accidents, plan and simple. It's one of the perks of being a Trooper, if you don't like it too bad, write your governor and have the policy changed.
Anon 7:37am, do you know how many Troopers are normally working in Talbot County? The answer is 2, with normally only a duty officer at the barracks who is there to sit at the desk and answer the phones and decide what Troopers go to what calls. It is definitely not out of the norm for a Trooper who is in St. Michaels to respond to Trappe. The Easton Barrack patrols three counties, Dorchester, Caroline, and Talbot. There are normally 6 Road Troopers working on a shift in Easton, that means 2 Troopers per county. It isn't unusual at all for a Dorchester Trooper to have to respond to Caroline or Talbot for a call. They are understaffed and underpaid and their life is on the line by not having a substantial amount of backup.
I just said there were 2 Troopers in each county. That means that if both Troopers are working a simple property damage accident the county has zero remaining Troopers left. That means that a Dorchester Trooper in Vienna may have to respond 60 miles away for a call in Marydel. Think about that next time you are wondering why they have to drive so fast.
To the people saying that he is a squirrel by hearing a call on his radio that he wasn't being dispatched to and responded...One day you may have a burglar in your house with a gun and you dial 911. The call gets routed to the Sheriff's Dept. and they dispatch Deputies to the scene. The Deputies may be 20-30 minutes away. A Trooper is driving 5 miles away but doesn't respond because he doesn't want to be labeled a "squirrel" since he wasn't dispatched to that call. Kinda makes you think a little, eh?
Anonymous said...
Wow, so quick to blame the Trooper when I would doubt any of the previous posters actually witnessed this accident.
First off, Anon 7:25am "listening to the scanner like a squirrel". I guess you meant, listening to his issued radio which also broadcasts Talbot Sheriff's Office? Police are limited and if someone is available and within reasonable proximity they frequently back each other up on calls no matter what department they work for. Second, the reason that the Trooper was flown is because he has pre existing injuries from an accident he was involved in as a passenger months ago. MSP Helicopters can not fly patients unless they are stable, the elderly man was dead and the woman was on the immediate brink. MSP routinely flies out Troopers when they are involved in accidents, plan and simple. It's one of the perks of being a Trooper, if you don't like it too bad, write your governor and have the policy changed.
Anon 7:37am, do you know how many Troopers are normally working in Talbot County? The answer is 2, with normally only a duty officer at the barracks who is there to sit at the desk and answer the phones and decide what Troopers go to what calls. It is definitely not out of the norm for a Trooper who is in St. Michaels to respond to Trappe. The Easton Barrack patrols three counties, Dorchester, Caroline, and Talbot. There are normally 6 Road Troopers working on a shift in Easton, that means 2 Troopers per county. It isn't unusual at all for a Dorchester Trooper to have to respond to Caroline or Talbot for a call. They are understaffed and underpaid and their life is on the line by not having a substantial amount of backup.
I just said there were 2 Troopers in each county. That means that if both Troopers are working a simple property damage accident the county has zero remaining Troopers left. That means that a Dorchester Trooper in Vienna may have to respond 60 miles away for a call in Marydel. Think about that next time you are wondering why they have to drive so fast.
To the people saying that he is a squirrel by hearing a call on his radio that he wasn't being dispatched to and responded...One day you may have a burglar in your house with a gun and you dial 911. The call gets routed to the Sheriff's Dept. and they dispatch Deputies to the scene. The Deputies may be 20-30 minutes away. A Trooper is driving 5 miles away but doesn't respond because he doesn't want to be labeled a "squirrel" since he wasn't dispatched to that call. Kinda makes you think a little, eh?
7:21 PM
Piss poor excuse my friend. We already know the trooper made a mistake, a fatal mistake. I do feel sorry for him because it will be with him the rest of his life. I also feel sorry for the elderly couple and their dog as well as their family members.
I have the greates respect for police officers, but they are not perfect and they make mistakes. The biggest mistake is someone like you trying to cover up for this guys poor decision. Be honest with yourself and the public before you jump to qickly to defend his actions.
Anon 7:21 said everything correctly but I will add this. As a collision reconstructionist it is a known fact that citizens (non police) over estimate the speed of vehicles. Knowing this I don't know who this person is who is saying that he was going 70-80 mph but there also were several witnesses that state he was only going 10-15 mph over the speed limit which would make it very reasonable but that would not make the Trooper look bad like he/she wanted. Besides the computer in the vehicle will be examined and the speed given at the time of the collision and I'm sure this police vehicle had a camera in it most do. It will also tell the story. This is a sad tragic story were two people die. Let's not pursecute the police officer before the facts are clearly spelled out. Has anyone thought if he may be suffering for taking these peoples lives.
In regards to this terrible accident, I DID witness this accident as well as that same troopers reckless actions earlier in the day. That same morning that same patrol car spun around in front of me causing me to slam on my brakes so he could then pass two other cars on the shoulder of the road just to speed up to a car to pull him over for doing 7 miles over the posted limit. Come on now!!!
all this blaming and finger pointing is such a shame. i will pray for u all that u might grow up and be adults. it is a sad thing but, this is the world we live in and must deal with each day we draw a breath. just be glad u can still do that.
Anon 10:37, did you not read the article the trooper wasnt on duty until 3pm so I find it odd that you somehow witnessed the same trooper that morning drive recklessly.
Funny how quick all you idiots are to jump up and down and have not a clue. First and foremost two people are dead. A trooper injured, that has to live with this the rest of his life. The trooper's shift started at 1500 hrs that day, so I think you may be confused that the same cruiser made you slam your brakes on earlier in the day. Here's a news flash: Marked State Police Cruisers all look the same, Jackass. As a retired police officer with many years experience, I, along with other police officers, judges and attorneys can tell you, citizens have no clue when it comes to being witnesses. You can have 10 people see the same thing and give you 10 different versions. Then you have to weigh the possibility that they have been tainted by talking to other witnesses and changing there story.
As one who has worked Easton Barracks, I can tell you 6 troopers a shift for 3 counties is not enough. You also can not leave a county without a trooper. That being said, if your Talbot units are tied up on a call, i.e. domestic abuse, you can't leave your shift partner. In that case the duty officer has to start a unit from Caroline or Dorchester. The closet unit may be in Marydel or Vienna. But you as citizens complain when I can't get to your house for 1 hour from the time you called. As one who has made a emergency run from Vienna to Marydel to Walker's Trailer Park that is a long run. Or maybe I'm already on a call that requires me to get all the information I can or I can't leave the scene for any number of reasons, but i'm not there in 5 minutes when you call. When you have never walked in my shoes or any other trooper's shoes do not judge. Nobody wants to see you until there moment of need. You need to let the collision reconstructionist complete the investigation. They will be able to get an approximate speed and anwser all of your questions. But then again that's not the way citizens are. They want to convict at the moment something happens. funny the same legal process they are entilted to, you are presumed inncocent until proven guilty, goes straight out the door when it involves a police officer. Not just this case but every police officer involved case. What a shame, the poice have to give the dirt balls all of there constitutional rights and they have none.
Post a Comment