2 Of 3 Deceased Victims Of Saturday's Major Crashes On I-95 ID'd
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Maryland Transportation Authority Police have identified two of the three people killed in a series of accidents on I-95 in Baltimore Saturday, as ice from an overnight storm blanketed the roadways.
Alfredo Orellana, a 38-year-old man from Mount Ranier, died in the 68-car crash on I-95 northbound near Caton Avenue. His exact cause of death, and the cause of the overall crash, is still being investigated.
The driver of the tanker truck that fell over the jersey wall at Caton Avenue has not yet been identified, pending positive identification from the state medical examiner. The MDTA is classifying the tanker crash as a single-vehicle crash, and not part of the 68-car pileup as was originally reported.
Mehmed Hodzic, a 54-year-old man from Edgewood, died in the crash near Eastern Avenue. MDTA Police say he left his vehicle for unknown reasons and fell over the jersey barrier to the railroad tracks below while trying to avoid another oncoming car.
On Monday morning, members of the "GO-TEAM" at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center who responded to the icy pileup described what it was like on the scene of the crash.
As of 9 a.m. Monday, three patients were still listed in critical condition at Shock Trauma, two were still in serious condition and two were in fair condition. Twenty-three people total were injured in the crash.
Dr. Gerard Slobogean, an orthopedic trauma surgeon, said Saturday's accident was unusual because of how many cars were contained to such a small area.
It was one of the largest crashes on record in Baltimore.
"Just getting to the site meant we had to go up an on ramp and then traverse down the interstate to get there, so that in itself presented a significant amount of challenges," he said.
"When I arrived, I had no idea what to expect. The first, you know, visions I have of course are of tractor-trailers everywhere, vehicles under those trailers and a significant amount of ice and all the providers just having difficulty even getting around the scene, navigating the ice."
With ice over everything, something "as simple as carrying the patient to the ambulance suddenly becomes a giant challenge," said Matt Belzak, CRNA.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
MDTA Police are seeking information from anyone involved, and are asking that they call 410-537-1208.
Go Fund Me accounts for the victims:
https://www.gofundme.com/alfredo-orellana-support-fund
https://www.gofundme.com/ayudemos-a-la-familia-de-tostadora
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