A crash involving two vehicles on Friday morning has resulted in the death of an unidentified female.
The accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. in the area of Brosius Hill along Hancock Road north of Berkeley Springs. Emergency response operations closed down that section of U.S. 522 for several hours. The road was reopened to traffic before 2 p.m.
According to a press release from Sheriff K.C. Bohrer, deputies with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department arrived on the scene to find two heavily-damaged pickup trucks on the northbound berm area. One of those trucks was overturned, said police.
Hancock Fire Department was first on the scene and notified dispatch that three occupants were entrapped. Fire units from Berkeley Springs were next on the scene, along with additional units from Hancock Rescue Squad.
Three individuals had to be extracted from the vehicles.
Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company officials reported that all three individuals were able to be removed from the vehicles within 15 minutes. All patients were classified as priority 1 by first responders.
One female was pronounced dead at the scene, said Sheriff Bohrer. He would not release the identity of the victim until family members had been notified.
One male patient from the crash was taken to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, Md. and another flown to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, Pa. by Maryland State Police Trooper 5. A medical helicopter landing zone was established at the Hancock Airpark, said fire officials.
Captain James Steiner of Company 1 was in command of the Hancock Road scene.
Sheriff Bohrer said two of the individuals involved in the crash are believed to be local and another is from the Needmore, Pa. area. He said police are working to confirm those details.
Sheriff Bohrer, who is the lead investigator in the case, said witness information indicates a southbound vehicle was passing vehicles in a no-passing section of U.S. 522, resulting in the crash. He said the collision took place right at the intersection with Brosius Lane, which is at the top of the hill above the Hancock bridge.
Bohrer is being assisted by Cpl. Lemon of the Sheriff’s Department and Cpl. S. R. Smith of the West Virginia State Police.
Units responded from the State Police, Hancock Police Department, Washington County Fire and EMS, Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company, Morgan County EMS and the Morgan County Medical Examiner.