MARYLAND - A major multi-car crash this morning on the Bay Bridge brought traffic to a standstill, creating chaos for drivers on and around the bridge.
Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, the westbound bridge was closed. Traffic on the eastbound span was alternating for those going in east- and westbound directions, according to the transportation authority. Two-way operations were prohibited due to foggy conditions.
WBOC spoke to Tammy Payne, who at noon was still stuck on the bridge after being involved in the crash,
“As soon as you hit the bridge it was a wall of fog, there was no warning until you were on the bridge, and by the time we got onto the bridge it was just all you can hear was cars hitting hitting hitting," she said.
Payne added she avoided damage due to a tractor trailer swerving into her lane and blocking the major collision, what she described as a blessing from above,
“We had no idea what had happened until the tractor trailer that was behind us slid into our lane, and all we heard was the chain reaction of accidents behind us," she continued.
But she said through the chaos, drivers still came together to check on and help each other,
"It restores your faith in humanity that nobody is out here angry or complaining; they are just here for each other."
Drivers like Meraj Rahimi, who was stuck outside of the bridge, said he's never seen anything like it,
“For the past 20 years I’ve been going to Bethany, I've heard of an accident, a truck, but that was the only accident I’ve heard a few years ago, but a pileup? No, I've never heard of that," said Rahimi.
Lt. Ian McGreevy with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department told WBOC that 20 vehicles were involved in the crash, according to preliminary estimates. There was a joint response between Anne Arundel and Queen Anne's fire departments, as McGreevy noted first responders would have different abilities to access the scene due to the direction from which they were traveling to reach the incident.
Anne Arundel fire alone transported 12 patients from the scene. Two were taken by ambulance to Shock Trauma in Baltimore with potential life-threatening injuries, while 10 more were transported to other area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
