On a tragic Sunday morning, a lethal car crash in a Frederick County quarry ended three lives. Authorities arrived at Union Bridge Quarry, situated on Peter Shriner and Lehigh roads, at approximately 8:35 a.m. The scene that greeted them was heartbreaking: a man and two women found deceased in a car that had crashed in the quarry.
Frederick County Sheriff’s Office preliminary findings indicate that a Dodge Charger was moving at a high speed. It lost control at a sharp curve, and plummeted hundreds of feet into the dry quarry. The impact was severe enough to eject one woman from the vehicle.
Authorities identified the deceased as Kortney Angleberger (28) from Keymar, Robert Grossnickle (65) from Woodsboro, and Rachel Willis (23) from Dickerson. Matthew Hull, a longtime friend of Angleberger, was deeply saddened by the news, recounting the young woman’s vibrant personality and the loved ones she left behind.
Local resident Stephen Barrett confirmed that the area is known for cars drag racing and speeding, contributing to accidents. He emphasized the tragedy’s profound impact on the families involved and the broader community.
Hull mentioned a chilling Snapchat video of the friends drinking before they embarked on the ill-fated ride. The video, he said, captured a light-hearted moment just before the crash, turning a casual social media post into a haunting reminder of the friends’ final hours.
While speed was undeniably a factor, Barrett believes that the county should take measures to ensure driver awareness of the curve. He highlighted the lack of warning signs and suggested that safety measures, such as a higher berm, could potentially prevent future accidents.
After the incident, efforts were made to reinforce safety measures at the location, with barriers and rocks set up to prevent a similar occurrence. Despite this, Todd Wivell from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, expressed that the severity and location of this crash were unprecedented. Because of this, those roads were not regularly patrolled.
Further details are expected as the investigation proceeds.