Plane Crashes On Route 50 Near Bowie: Police

BOWIE, MD — Two people were hospitalized after a small plane crashed on eastbound Route 50 near Freeway Airport in Bowie Thursday morning.

Maryland State Police tweeted shortly before noon that troopers from the College Park Barrack responded to eastbound Route 50 at Church Road. They initially said that the plane's operator may have been trying to land at the airport and misjudged the landing, but later said the plane was actually taking off.

The plane struck at least one vehicle, police said, adding that there were two people in the plane and two people in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Fortunately, there are no serious injuries.

Police later said that the two people in the plane were treated at the scene, and the two people in the vehicle were taken to the hospital.

The crash resulted in partial lane closures in both directions on Route 50, creating significant backups.

Polie identified the pilot as 58-year-old Julius Tolson, Jr. of Laurel and the passenger as 57-year-old Michael Garrah of Columbia. Police say 29-year-old Ryan McClain of D.C. and Eric Diprospero of Baltimore were in the car.

"According to a preliminary investigation, the plane was attempting to take off from nearby Freeway Airport at the time of the crash," according to an MSP statement. "The exact cause of the crash has yet to be determined."

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will take over the investigation.

A plane crashed into a car on Route 50 in Bowie. The latest: https://t.co/s5DF0XxlaU pic.twitter.com/Qg1lBPP272
— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) September 12, 2019

#ALERT @mdsp and @PGFDPIO on scene of a plane crash EB Rt. 50 at Freestate Airport.
— MD State Police (@MDSP) September 12, 2019