Fatal Three-Vehicle Collision on I-81 in Washington County Under Investigation

A fatal collision this week involving three vehicles on northbound Interstate 81 in Washington County has resulted in the death of a 36-year-old woman, according to an announcement from the Maryland State Police. The incident led to prolonged road closures and required the response of multiple agencies.

The victim has been identified as Kathleen Hitch, 36, of Falling Waters, West Virginia. She was the sole occupant of a Honda Civic involved in the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The other two vehicles involved were tractor-trailers. The drivers of these commercial vehicles, Charles Fields, 60, of Knoxville, Maryland, and Luis Manuel Rodriguez, 60, of Vineland, New Jersey, were transported to Meritus Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.

Maryland State Police troopers were dispatched to the scene on northbound I-81, south of U.S. Route 11 (Virginia Avenue/Exit 2), around 8:39 a.m. Preliminary findings indicate that a tractor-trailer driven by Mr. Fields collided with Ms. Hitch’s Honda Civic in the second lane. The impact caused the Honda Civic to then crash into a second tractor-trailer, operated by Mr. Rodriguez.

The investigation into the crash necessitated the closure of northbound I-81 lanes for over twelve hours. Personnel from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration provided assistance with managing the road closure. Given that one of the tractor-trailers was transporting flammable materials, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Washington County Fire Department HAZMAT Team were also called to the scene. Additionally, the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division responded to conduct inspections of the involved commercial vehicles. The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the ongoing investigation into the circumstances of the collision.

Further details regarding the cause of the crash are expected as the investigation progresses.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Maryland State Police

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