BERLIN – A Berlin woman died in a crash involving a tractor trailer on Route 113 last Saturday afternoon.
Maryland State Police (MSP) confirmed that Berlin resident Linda Brown, 69, died in a Saturday afternoon accident at the Route 113 intersection with Georgetown Road in Berlin. Authorities this week continued their investigation into the crash, which left the road closed for several hours.
According to police, troopers responded to the intersection of Route 113 northbound at Georgetown Road shortly after 3:30 p.m. on March 18 for a reported crash involving a tractor trailer and a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The preliminary investigation and witness accounts of the incident indicate the driver of the Tacoma failed to stop at a stop sign, driving west on Georgetown Road attempting to cross the northbound lanes of US 113. The tractor trailer was traveling northbound on Route 113 when the crash occurred.
Brown, the operator of the Tacoma, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck, Marius Bouw,72, of North Carolina, was not injured.
Troopers from MSP’s Berlin barrack responded to the incident, as did the MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. Members of the Berlin Fire Company (BFC) provided assistance, along with members of the Berlin Police Department and Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. Personnel from the Maryland State Highway Administration helped organize detours and road closures.
Berlin Councilman Jack Orris, who happened to be on a ride-along with the Berlin Fire Company when the accident occurred, said he saw firsthand the incredible amount of collaboration that occurred among first responders. He was with BFC members who were assisting a woman awaiting helicopter transport after a fall from a horse when the Route 113 call came in. Orris accompanied BFC responders as they rushed from one scene to another.
“What I observed was an amazing collaboration between various allied agencies ranging from law enforcement to State Highway,” he said. “That just proves how special the area is where we live, where professionals truly come together in a time when residents need help the most.”
He offered his condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
“I also think this can remind us to appreciate the gravity of situations our first responders face every day,” he said.
