Tesla driver critically injured after truck slams into traffic queue in St. Leonard crash
ST. LEONARD, MD – A violent three-vehicle collision involving two commercial trucks and a Tesla left one man critically injured Tuesday morning in a chain-reaction crash that brought emergency crews and aviation response to the intersection of Route 4 and Ball Road.
At approximately 10:44 a.m. on January 7, deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of a serious crash involving a 2019 Freightliner truck, a 2007 International truck, and a 2024 Tesla. Due to the severity of the incident, the agency’s Crash Reconstruction Team was called to take over the investigation.
Preliminary findings indicate the 2019 Freightliner, driven by 64-year-old Erbert Locklear Jr. of Baltimore, was traveling southbound on Route 4 when it failed to stop in time at the intersection with Ball Road. The truck slammed into the rear of a Tesla that was stopped at the traffic light behind the International truck, which was operated by 57-year-old Ronald E. Matthews of Mechanicsville.
The impact crushed the Tesla between the two commercial vehicles. The Tesla’s driver, 36-year-old Nikola Medenica of Arlington, Virginia, sustained life-threatening injuries. He was airlifted by Maryland State Police Aviation Command to a nearby trauma center, where he remains in critical condition.
Both Locklear and Matthews were treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel and released.
The investigation is ongoing and being led by Deputy First Class M. Lewis of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team. Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward with information.
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Key Points
- A Tesla driver was critically injured after being rear-ended by a Freightliner in St. Leonard
- The Tesla was pushed into a second truck while stopped at a red light on Route 4
- The crash is under active investigation by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Crash Reconstruction Team