LEONARDTOWN, Md. (March 1, 2012)—A single vehicle accident on Tuesday claimed the life of the driver and sent his front seat passenger to a Baltimore hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver was David Jodie Quade, 45, of Mechanicsville. The passenger was Joseph Franklin Morgan, 52, also of Mechanicsville. Police cite speed and alcohol as contributing factors in the crash.
Patrol units from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police were called to to Maypole Road in Leonardtown at approximately 4:10 p.m. for the report of a serious motor vehicle crash with entrapment.
Sheriff's Office units were the first to arrive on the scene and found a vehicle approximately a half a mile in on Maypole Road from Point Lookout Road with the engine compartment on fire. Police were able to control the fire until Fire and EMS personnel arrived on the scene and secured the vehicle. Once the scene was brought under control units requested to have crash reconstructionists respond to the scene.
Members of the Sheriff's Office Crash Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. Investigation revealed a 1997 Ford Explorer, operated by Quade, had been traveling northbound on Maypole Road exceeding the posted speed limit when for an unknown reason the vehicle left the northbound side of the roadway, continued down the ditch line until the passenger side rear quarter panel of the Explorer struck a tree which spun the vehicle around and sent the driver's side of the vehicle into a tree.
Mr. Quade was pronounced dead on the scene. Morgan was trapped and had to be extricated. Mr. Morgan sustained life threatening injuries and was flown from the crash scene by Trooper 7 to Baltimore Shock Trauma.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash and has not already provided there information to authorities is asked to contact the primary crash investigator Corporal Doug Mills at (301)863-4816 Extension 1456.