Published: October 22, 2009 11:46 pm      

Three killed in vehicle crash

First-responders hold stress debriefing after death of 11-year-old boy, two women

CUMBERLAND — Maryland State Police continued the investigation into Wednesday night’s head-on collison on U.S. Route 40 in LaVale that claimed the lives of three Mount Savage residents, including a mother and her 11-year-old son, and severely injured a Frostburg man.

Mandy Leigh May, 31 and her son Thadius Duckworth, a student at Mount Savage School, and Tana Lynn Davis, 31, were fatally injured in the 8:19 p.m. crash that occurred just east of the former Continental Inn and Restaurant.

Fifty-nine-year-old Leon Brashears of Frostburg was admitted to the Memorial campus of the Western Maryland Health System and was later transferred to the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. He was listed in “serious but stable” condition late Thursday afternoon, according to Shock Trauma Center spokeswoman Cindy Rivers.

The investigation is continuing by Tfc. B.J. Jeffries and Cpl. W.D. Frye, collision reconstructionist. Autopsies were being performed by the Maryland State Medical Examiner’s Office as part of the investigation.

Police said May was operating a 2005 Hyundai Elantra with her son and Davis as passengers when the vehicle, for unknown reasons, crossed the center line and into the westbound lanes where it struck a 2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV operated by Brashears.

Preliminary reports from the scene indicated there were no skid marks visible on the roadway following the collision.

LaVale Rescue Squad paramedic Gary Kamauf said Jeffries and Allegany County Bureau of Police Officer Jeff Fairley were the first persons to arrive at the scene.

“The officers were doing CPR when we got there. Unfortunately, the child did not make it. But for the police officers to do that is very, very heroic no matter what the outcome. The traffic was still moving and the officers responded with total disregard for their own personal safety,” said Kamauf, who has served as a paramedic for the past 10 years and has volunteered with the LaVale Rescue Squad since 1986.

Kamauf said he sent a communication Thursday to Gov. Martin O’Malley to make him aware of the officers’ response at the scene.

In another note, Kamauf said a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing was to be held last night at the LaVale Rescue Squad.

The debriefing was open to all first-responders that were involved in the accident response, including dispatchers, emergency room personnel, fire police and tow truck operators.

“It’s open to anyone who was involved in any way with the response. It’s an opportunity to sit and talk about their role and how everyone is handling it. It’s an awesome team and it is very helpful,” said Kamauf, who said the debriefing is the second one that he will have experienced during his EMS service. The previous debriefing following a fatal fire that claimed the life of a child about a decade ago.

Maryland State Police troopers were assisted by Allegany County Bureau of Police and volunteer firefighters from Clarysville, LaVale and Shaft, along with LaVale and Frostburg rescue squads. Volunteers from the Allegany County Sheriff’s Fire Police Association also responded to the scene along with State Highway Administration officials.

Duckworth was a sixth grade student at Mount Savage Middle School. Mia Perlozzo Cross, public relations specialist with the Allegany County Board of Education, said Superintendent of Schools David Cox was at the school first thing Thursday morning to assist Principal Gary Llewellyn.

“We have (grief) counselors on hand for the students,” Cross said. “We’ve also disbursed psychiatrists there for staff. That’s kind of where we are right now. They're just trying to do what they can for students and staff at Mount Savage. They’ll assess the situation and go from there.”

Contact Jeffrey Alderton at jlalderton@times-news.com.

Staff writer Kevin Spradlin contributed to this article.