6 highway workers killed in a car crash at a construction zone outside Baltimore
By Sara Smart and Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN
Six highway workers were killed when a vehicle crashed into a construction zone near Baltimore, Maryland, according to police.
The crash happened around 12:40 p.m. Wednesday at a work zone between temporary concrete walls on Interstate 695 in Woodlawn, about 8 miles northwest of Baltimore, Maryland State Police said in a news release.
A driver in an Acura was attempting to change lanes when the vehicle “struck the front corner panel on the passenger side” of another vehicle, an updated news release from state police said. “Crash Team investigators believe this caused the Acura to lose control and subsequently travel into the work zone,” the release said.
All six workers were pronounced dead at the scene, state police said.
On Thursday, Maryland State Police identified the victims as Rolando Ruiz, 46, of Laurel; Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, 43, of Frederick; Jose Armando Escobar, 52, of Frederick; Mahlon Simmons III, 31, of Union Bridge; Mahlon Simmons II, 52, of Union Bridge; Sybil Lee Dimaggio, 46, of Glen Burnie.
The driver was the only person in the Acura and was taken to a trauma center for medical treatment, state police said.
The driver of the other vehicle, a Volkswagen, stopped near the scene where the vehicle became disabled, state police said. The Volkswagen driver wasn’t injured.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledged the incident during an on-camera Senate hearing Thursday.
“We cannot and must not accept that roadway fatalities are an inevitable part of life in America,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending investigators to work with the state police on the investigation. The Maryland Department of Transportation Occupational Safety Office and the state Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health are also investigating the crash.
“Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation and consultation with the Baltimore County State’s Attorney,” the release said.
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CNN’s Michelle Watson, Tina Burnside and Rashard Rose contributed to this report.
