Thanksgiving Day travelers encounter 10-vehicle traffic snafu on busy Maryland interstate
BALTIMORE -- There were many people who waited until Thanksgiving Day to head to their holiday destination. For those who embarked on that last-minute trek, a 10-vehicle collision in Harford County proved to be an obstacle.
The collision happened close to 2 p.m. on northbound I-95 around exit 74. It forced the closure of all four lanes, according to Maryland State Police.
All lanes had reopened by around 4:30 p.m.
Two people were taken to the hospital, but their conditions are unknown at this time.
Sharon Walker was on her way to Baltimore from New Castle, Delaware, when she saw the backup on I-95.
"It was a parking lot. It seemed like [the traffic was] backed up from there all the way to Baltimore," she said.
Walker dodged that hurdle since she was going south, she hit a bit of a slowdown on the way home.
"There was an accident and there were three cars [involved], but once we got around that accident it was fine," she said.
Walker was among the many drivers who took a break at the Maryland House Travel Plaza. WJZ talked to several people who described an overall smooth experience on the road.
WJZ caught Margie Feather and Bruce Cronauer heading to Baltimore from Manalapan Township, New Jersey.
They made sure to leave when traffic would be low, knowing the best timeframe to travel since they had driven the route many times.
But sometimes life throws a wrench into the engine of a well-oiled plan.
"A couple years ago...we're coming down and we saw some poor guy hit a deer," Cronauer said. "Traffic came to a stop there real quick."
This year, it looks like they're in the clear, grateful to miss any big backups. Still, they're ready to adjust if they run into one.
"You just never know," Feather said. "Thankfully, we have Waze or Google Maps and it can help us divert that. Those are much better than the old days."
For anyone planning to drive home on Friday, AAA said the best time to hit the road is before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
For those people not driving until the weekend, AAA advises to hit the road before noon.