A commercial pickup truck collided with a church van headed to services on Sunday, November 8 just outside of Washington DC, leaving four people dead and 14 injured. 1 The accident occurred around 5:00 p.m. in Hyattsville, Maryland on Chillum Road. 4 Dead at the scene were three occupants of the church van, including one young girl, and the driver of the pickup truck, according to a spokesperson for the Prince George County (Maryland) fire department. Fourteen others, six children and eight adults, were taken to area hospitals, eight in critical condition. 2 Many of the names of those killed and injured have not yet been released pending notification of relatives. Authorities indicated that the adults traveling in the church van were mostly in their 20s and 30s and that the children were between four and ten years old.
Police and fire department investigators are still piecing together what happened during the accident, but it is believed that the pickup truck hit a second vehicle (a passenger car) in the rear, lost control of his truck, crossed the center line and rammed the van before bursting in flames. Several veteran responders at the scene indicated that it was one of the worst accidents they had come across in their careers.
The van was en route to services at Iglesia Ministerio de Dios Unido, a Spanish-language Evangelical church, according to the church’s pastor, Jose Santos Jimenez. 3 According to him, those killed include a couple in their 70s who recently immigrated from El Salvador; a six-year-old girl and the unborn baby of a woman riding in the van. The majority of the church’s members are immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras and Panama. The accident occurred just five miles from the church.
Read More to Learn about Filing a Personal Injury or Wrongful Death Lawsuit
When someone you care about has been a horrific accident in Minnesota, such as the one in Maryland this past weekend, it’s difficult to know just what is the right course of action. The truck accident attorneys at Pritzker Hageman law firm can help you sort through all of the information and advice you’ve received to ascertain the facts of the accident. Our law firm provides free consultations for people who need a lawyer with a Minnesota license.
If we decide to work together, we’ll conduct our own thorough investigation, so you can know as much as possible about what actually happened during the accident. We believe a detailed understanding of the accident is the best way for us to hold those responsible accountable for the results of their actions. If the situation warrants it, we will proceed to filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
Sources:
- http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/4-dead-14-injured-truck-hits-church-van-maryland-article-1.2427836
- http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/11/08/van-truck-crash-fatalities-hyattsville/75433830/
- http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/11/09/official-4-killed-14-hurt-in-crash-near-washington
- http://www.fox5dc.com/news/46172526-story
