Accident at Bay Bridge leaves 4 injured, closes lanes

Toll Plaza were closed this morning for more than an hour as emergency crews cleaned up the wreckage of two vehicles involved in an accident in which one landed on the other.

[Roy]

Speed is what KILLS

[Dan]

Maybe you should slow down before flying through the EZ-Pass. Could have killed someone.

[Pat]

These people crossing the Bay Bridge seem to be nuts. I crossed it 3 times last year & every time was horrible. One guy was so mad that I actually slowed down slightly that after the booth he pulled up on the right & tried to force me into the traffic barrier. Another time a jerk in a P-UP crossed a couple of feet over the solid line in front of me & stood on his brakes. I use EZ-pass all the time & never have any problems at Ft McHenry or anywhere else -- what is it with these guys??

[Mark]

Typical dumb-a** 'driver.'

[buddym]

The police spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on road blocks for a few drunk drivers. Why not focus some attention and real fines on the just plain BAD DRIVERS, they create more trouble and expense on everyone.

[Dan]

None of this would be an issue if Maryland implemented high speed EZ-Pass. We've got so many idiots that will come to a complete stop or even back up in an EZ-Pass Only lane. Entering the NJTP at 55MPH or going through EZ-Pass on the Atlantic City Expressway at 45MPH is wonderful. They filter out the traffic almost a mile away to keep the morons who can't read out of the EZ-Pass lane. I'm sure the guy in the Xterra was pissed because someone stopped in an adjacent lane triggering him to make a last minute maneuver which failed miserably. The technology is there....MD is just way behind!

[Joanna]

I passed this heading west this morning, and the sight was quite dramatic. I thought perhaps someone suffered a heart attack. I use the E-Z pass lanes Friday night or sometimes Sat. mornings every weekend with no problem, and enjoy whizzing through. I wouldn't resist making E-Z pass lanes high-speed, but am satisfied with the courtesy level of my fellow drivers, and the pace. This accident is a fluke illustrating how easily SUVs can be flipped. I'll keep my Odyssey and stick-shift Mazda sedan.

[Jerri]

Yes Dan, it wasn't the drivers fault, it was Marylands fault. The driver bears absolutely no responsibility for the crash.

[Dan]

Jerri wrote:

Yes Dan, it wasn't the drivers fault, it was Marylands fault. The driver bears absolutely no responsibility for the crash.

Missed my point......The driver is totally responsible....but MD's EZ-Pass system needs a major upgrade. They've got money for all these big brother "improvements" such as red light and speeding cameras, yet no money to upgrade the ancient EZ-Pass system. Between the slow plaza speed limits, horrible customer service, and and the dying transponder batteries, you can definitely tell there are many items which are quite lacking.

[Jerri]

Sorry brother, I thought you were making excuses.

[Mike]

Dan - you are a moron. SPEED KILLS! Whether or not the technology is available, NO ONE should be going through the tolls at a high speed. I am sure you are one of those "responsible" Maryland drivers that cut people off all the time.

[Dorothy Harding]

I have read all 11 comments that have been written, Dan has some valid points, but until Maryland makes it high speed EZ Pass, EVERYONE needs to SLOW DOWN, there is just enough room between those booths for a vehicle to get through (some lanes are smaller than others), it only takes a little over correcting and ~ WOW~ you got a major problem. People are driving so fast, that they are in the wrong lane and then try to back up !!!! Trust me, I have seen a lot in the 14 years I was there. Also, if any collector would be relieving other lanes and step out, it just would be too late !!! I was the collector in the toll booth on 3/31/2006 that was struck by the propane truck, believe me, it sure is a hell of a place to work, and yes some of the customer service stinks, as well as some of the customers ! Most are WONDERFUL & I do miss many of them.

[Latoyra Rodgers]

Hi my name is latoyra rodgers i am 17 years old and very devastated of the tragedy that had occured.I would like more information about the incident.You can email me at [e-mail] a bless day.

[Sally]

Some people are just way too impatient these days! Just listen to some of these comments...does it REALLY matter if you have to slow down for a few seconds to SAFELY navigate through the EZPass?? What is the BFD about arriving somewhere 15-45 seconds faster? Wake up, folks, and realize that it's not a contest. Just slow down and save a life! If you don't care, then have a one-car accident somewhere and let the rest of us live.

[Dawn Gilbert]

Dorothy Harding wrote:

I have read all 11 comments that have been written, Dan has some valid points, but until Maryland makes it high speed EZ Pass, EVERYONE needs to SLOW DOWN, there is just enough room between those booths for a vehicle to get through (some lanes are smaller than others), it only takes a little over correcting and ~ WOW~ you got a major problem. People are driving so fast, that they are in the wrong lane and then try to back up !!!! Trust me, I have seen a lot in the 14 years I was there. Also, if any collector would be relieving other lanes and step out, it just would be too late !!! I was the collector in the toll booth on 3/31/2006 that was struck by the propane truck, believe me, it sure is a hell of a place to work, and yes some of the customer service stinks, as well as some of the customers ! Most are WONDERFUL & I do miss many of them.

Dorothy, I feel what you said girl!! My thoughts are with you... What is it going to take? A death...

[Charlie]

Do you really think high speed EZ Pass is the answer? No,due to the volume of traffic and the lack of lanes a bigger problem will arise. One lane would have to be totally segregated from the other so as not to have others being ran into and creating a bottle neck for all the remaining lanes. Common courtesy is the biggest problem. Have you ever tried to go through the toll plaza towing a trailer or driving a motorhome? It's scary believe me, no one wants to give you an inch. Since we can't go 0 to 60 in a few seconds like those cars it's a always a nightmare getting into a lane. What's the solution? More bridges? Look at the Baltimore Beltway, same issue, too many vehicles for too little highway.

[HoCo Resident]

Mike wrote:

Dan - you are a moron. SPEED KILLS! Whether or not the technology is available, NO ONE should be going through the tolls at a high speed. I am sure you are one of those "responsible" Maryland drivers that cut people off all the time.

Wow, looks like he struck a nerve! Speed Differential is what kills. If you're too scared to drive, then stay home or let someone else drive for you. High speed tolls are right around the corner. Many of our surround states already have them. If people didn't have to slow down and dodge lanes and could keep a steady pace, the toll plazas would be much safer. There are always going to be idiots trying to cut cars off, but high speed tolls decrease this problem substantially. I'm tired of hearing all these bleeding hearts with their "Speed Kills" crap.

[HoCo Resident]

Charlie wrote:

Do you really think high speed EZ Pass is the answer? No,due to the volume of traffic and the lack of lanes a bigger problem will arise. One lane would have to be totally segregated from the other so as not to have others being ran into and creating a bottle neck for all the remaining lanes. Common courtesy is the biggest problem. Have you ever tried to go through the toll plaza towing a trailer or driving a motorhome? It's scary believe me, no one wants to give you an inch. Since we can't go 0 to 60 in a few seconds like those cars it's a always a nightmare getting into a lane. What's the solution? More bridges? Look at the Baltimore Beltway, same issue, too many vehicles for too little highway.

High speed EZ-Pass works very well for RV's and trailers. When i'm towing my trailer and entering the NJTP, I move into the designated segregated lane. There is even a second dedicated lane for slower moving traffic. I can painlessly cruise through without slowing down or worrying about others giving me room to merge. There are no concrete chokers for the segregated lanes when the toll is actually collected, so it is much safer not having a limited width lane.

You do have a valid point about the toll plaza for the Bay Bridge, but with the proper engineering I think high speed tolls could work. After people start reading the signs then they could take advantage of the high speed lane.

[Smarter than you]

The person driving had a seizure idiots. Not everyone is out to hurt people. It was a terrible accident, not someone looking for a speed thrill. Grow up!

[DDD]

The person driving had a medical emergency. Everyone is always so quick to comment and judge without having any facts. Thank God no one was seriously injured hurt.