Frederick man is killed in crash on Interstate 70

July 28, 2002|by LAURA ERNDE

laurae@herald-mail.com

A 27-year-old Frederick, Md., man was killed Saturday when the van he had bought a day earlier crashed on Interstate 70, Maryland State Police said.

A Hagerstown woman who was riding in the van was injured in the accident.

Shane Palmer O'Neill of 7403 Hillside Drive was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

O'Neill had just passed tests to become a journeyman in the air-conditioning field, said his father, John O'Neill, of the same address. He bought the 2002 green Volkswagen Eurovan on Friday.

"His life had really just begun," John O'Neill said.

Passenger Nicole Lynn Hourahan, 23, of 13812 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown, was flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. She was treated and released, a hospital spokesman said.

The accident happened about 3:15 p.m. in Washington County, just west of the Frederick County line, police said.

Police don't know why the van ran off onto the right shoulder then whipped back across both lanes of I-70 and went into the median.

The van hit the embankment and guardrail, vaulted over the guardrail and landed on the driver's side before rolling onto its roof, police said.

The guardrail pierced the driver's compartment, police said.

The van continued to roll, coming to rest on the passenger side facing east, police said.

Neither O'Neill nor Hourahan was wearing a seat belt, although police said it would not have helped them.

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