Crash victims remain hospitalized

September 17, 2004|by BRIAN SHAPPELL

SANDY HOOK

Two Maryland School for the Deaf students remained hospitalized Thursday, one in critical condition, a day after they were thrown from a hatchback during the first of two wrecks in southern Washington County.

Meanwhile, Maryland State Police identified the driver that officers allege caused the second accident, a six-car pileup that injured seven.

Trooper Kyle George said the students, Marijana Suric, 18, and Marsha Lahun, 20, both of Frederick, Md., were thrown from a 1993 Geo Metro during a single-vehicle crash reported on eastbound U.S. 340 just past Keep Tryst Road, at about 9:22 p.m.

Suric, an Astoria, N.Y., native, was thrown over a guardrail and down a bank, George said.

Suric sustained severe head injuries and had an airway obstruction as a result of the incident, George said. Her condition improved dramatically Thursday, he said.

She first was taken to Frederick (Md.) Memorial Hospital. "They had to rush her to the nearest hospital first just to stabilize her," George said.

From there, she was flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where she was listed in critical condition Thursday night.

Her roommate and classmate, Lahun, was taken to Washington County Hospital for treatment, and initially was listed as a trauma patient in critical condition, George said.

Lahun's condition was upgraded to serious on Thursday, a hospital spokeswoman there said.

George said the driver and the front seat passenger in the Geo, Tabitha King and Ronnie King Jr., both of Mount Airy, Md., were treated at Frederick Memorial Hospital and released.

George said all four are students at the Maryland School for the Deaf.

"Everybody was extremely upset because they're all friends," he said.

The second crash was reported about 35 minutes later.

Trooper Andrew Smith said John R. Crum, of Branchville, S.C., was charged with negligent driving in connection with the subsequent six-vehicle pileup on U.S. 340 at Keep Tryst Road.

Smith alleged Crum, who was driving a 1995 Dodge with a connected trailer eastbound, was unable to stop and struck a 2002 Hyundai.

He said the pickup crashed into several more cars that were stopped, some for several minutes, because of the previous accident.

Smith said seven people were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries, and seven people declined medical treatment at the scene.

Eastbound U.S. 340 was closed for up to three hours after the crash.

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