Police: Driver In Rt. 50 Fatal Wrong-Way Crash Had 4 Times Legal Alcohol Limit
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland State Police have released new details in a fatal wrong way crash that claimed the lives of two people on Route 50 in Anne Arundel County.
Authorities now say the at-fault driver was drunk at the time of the crash. Police say the driver, Christine Parks' blood-alcohol level was more than four times the legal limit.
Sadly, it's not the first time this has happened along Route 50. Regardless of the circumstances, many want to see some changes along the stretch or road to prevent any further fatalities.
A deadly collision along Route 50 in Annapolis left many hearts racing as they watched it unfold this past July.
RELATED: Wrong Way Crash Kills 2 On Route 50 In Annapolis
"Oh my god! You have to get somebody out here quick. Cars are swerving out of the way. It's going to bad." said one caller to police.
31-year-old Christine Parks was driving the wrong way when she smashed into another car head-on killing herself and the other driver.
"They're not looking like they're trying to stop"
Two others in another car were also injured in the crash. The resulting mangled mess of metal remained a mystery for months as police worked to determine why Parks was in the wrong lane.
Now, with police finding that alcohol was a factory, their investigation is still far from over.
"Investigators are certainly looking at what led that driver to be at that location at that time and to be at that level of impairment," says Greg Shipley, with Maryland State Police.
The crash follows a deadly trend this summer, as another wrong-way crash along Route 50 was also determined to be alcohol related.
A third crash also claimed the life of a young mother, but police say alcohol was not a factor in that incident.
Police say from an engineering standpoint there doesn't appear to be any issue with Route 50. There's also adequate signage, but others feel more could be done."
"There's so many signs, it comes up so quick. They need to do something different," says Madison Haskell from Annapolis.
But others say as long as you're paying attention, it's hard to mess up getting on the road.
"I think it's pretty hard to, if you're not impaired and you're in your right mind," says Greg Klemkowski from Annapolis.
Maryland State Police say this past weekend, they conducted a DUI operation in the area and made 12 arrests.
According to Maryland's Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office, each year drunk drivers contribute to more 7400 crashes in the state.
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