Police Still Seeking Answers In Tragic Wrong Way Route 50 Crash
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Police are still searching for answers after a young mother drove into oncoming traffic with her infant in the car.
It happened along Route 50 near Annapolis, and left the woman and another man dead.
Police have released the 911 calls following the wreck, and tell WJZ's Rick Ritter they are now reviewing surveillance video of the accident as they try to get a better idea of what happened.
In the 911 calls, you can hear the fear in the drivers' voices, knowing that tragedy was just seconds away.
It was chaos along Route 50 on Wednesday.
"A car just went the wrong way heading towards Severn River Bridge, dodging oncoming traffic," one caller said.
911 calls from shaken drivers who were fearing the worst.
"There was just a car coming head-on down all three lanes...and it was totally out of control," another caller said.
The tragedy hit hard after Maryland State Police say 22-year-old Laura Murphy crashed head-on with another vehicle as she drove the wrong way onto Route 50.
Murphy and another driver were left dead, but her 11-month-old son, who was in the car, managed to survive.
"She is certainly affecting the life of her boy," said Elena Russo, with Maryland State Police. "[She] cost a 66-year-old man his life. This shouldn't have happened."
Some who've been in the area for years say it's not unusual to see drivers heading the wrong way onto Route 50 and into oncoming traffic.
Todd Niazi owns Revell Service Center along Busch's Frontage Road, which is right where police believe Murphy got onto Route 50.
"A few times, I've seen over the years, a few times, but they usually turn around," Niazi said.
Even with wrong way signs blasted all over, Niazi says unfamiliarity with the area, or being distracted, is a disaster waiting to happen.
"I would like to see if they can add maybe flashing lights so this will never happen again," he said.
As far as why the young mother was going the wrong way in the first place, State Police are still trying to put together the pieces.
"Again, we really don't know why she made decisions she made that ended up in this tragic situation," said Russo.
Police say they're now reviewing several sets of surveillance video and digging into cell phone records. Autopsy results are pending.
Murphy's son was flown to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Trauma Center. At last check, he is in good condition.
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
