WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — Maryland State Police are investigating a crash early Saturday morning that claimed the life of a Salisbury man and injured 16 others in Wicomico County.
Around 3:45 a.m., on Saturday, May 13, troopers responded to a crash involving three passenger vehicles and one tractor-trailer at 9049 Gumboro Road in Gumboro.
Maryland State Police Crash Team determined three vehicles were stopped in the travel portion of the road when they were initiating the jump start.
Witnesses told police the Kia Forte was disabled and attempting a jump start from the GMC Acadia.
The Chevrolet Express van had stopped ahead of the two vehicles while they were doing the jump.
Officials say the tractor-trailer traveling southbound lane of Maryland Route 353, struck the rear of the Forte and the passenger side of the Acadia which caused a chain reaction.
Eliassaint Aussideu, 39, the driver of the black Kia Forte involved in the crash, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Maryland State Police Aviation Command transported one patient, Joseus Gerlie, 34, from the scene to Johns Hopkins Hospital.
She was one of two passengers in the 2012 GMC Acadia operated by Geraldine Phauord, 37.
The third vehicle involved, the Chevrolet Express van, was carrying 12 passengers at the time of the incident.
15 people were treated at the scene by EMS personnel from multiple fire and rescue companies that responded to the scene.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Rodney Powell, 61, was uninjured during the incident.
Police say the drivers and passengers of all vehicles involved were inside their respective vehicles when the collision occurred.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team will continue their investigation.
