CALIFORNIA, Md. (June 30, 2011)—A single vehicle accident this morning around 8:23 a.m., on Route 235 in the Mechanicsville area, sent the driver to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. The identity of the driver has not been released by police. The driver's next of kin were notified of the accident by Troopers from La Plata and Leonardtown. There were no other people in the vehicle.
Troopers from the Leonardtown Barrack responded to the accident and found a gold color GMC Yukon partially in the southbound lanes of Rt. 235, north of the Morganza Turner Road intersection.
Based on preliminary investigation and witness accounts, police determined that the Yukon had been traveling northbound on Rt. 235 when for unknown reasons it drifted from the roadway, into the grass median. Once in the median, the vehicle struck a culvert/ditch, which caused the vehicle to roll over approximately five times before coming to rest. The driver was seatbelted in and not ejected.
The driver was flown from the scene by Maryland State Police Helicopter Trooper 7 to Prince George's Shock Trauma with life threatening injuries.
At this time the cause of the accident is still under investigation, however, alcohol does not appear to be a contributing circumstance, say police.
The accident was reconstructed by TFC Vanbennekum.