Two separate late-night crashes in Queen Anne’s and Kent counties left two people dead and several others injured on Saturday, prompting a large emergency response and road closures across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Both collisions happened less than 40 minutes apart, stretching resources and leaving investigators working into the early morning hours.
The first crash occurred around 11:22 p.m. on northbound U.S. Route 301 at Hayden Clark Road in Centreville. Maryland State Police say a motorcycle collided with a GMC Acadia as the SUV attempted to cross Route 301. The motorcyclist, identified as 20-year-old Marcus Dangerfield of Dover, Delaware, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The GMC driver, a 45-year-old man, was taken by ambulance to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, while his 38-year-old female passenger had to be airlifted for emergency treatment.
The severity of the crash forced officials to shut down Route 301 for more than two hours. Emergency personnel from the Church Hill Fire Department, Queen Anne’s County EMS, and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration assisted troopers at the scene. Investigators are still working to determine the exact circumstances leading to the deadly collision.
Just over 30 minutes later, tragedy struck again in nearby Kent County. At 11:55 p.m., troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Maryland Route 213 and Riley’s Mill Road in Chestertown. Authorities say a Ford Fusion traveling southbound veered onto the shoulder, struck a telephone pole, and overturned. A 17-year-old male passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, a 19-year-old woman, sustained serious injuries and was flown to Shock Trauma for care. Three additional passengers—a 21-year-old woman, a 17-year-old male, and a 23-year-old woman—were transported to Chester River Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators believe impairment may have been a factor, though the case remains under review. Maryland Route 213 was closed for several hours while first responders worked the crash.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team is now leading both investigations, which remain active and ongoing. Authorities have not yet announced whether charges will be filed. Officials are once again urging drivers to stay alert, avoid impaired driving, and obey traffic laws, stressing that these tragedies serve as a painful reminder of the dangers of late-night travel.