St. Mary's Co. Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision Under Investigation

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On March 12, 2020, at approximately 11:13 a.m. deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 24700 block of Three Notch Road, in the area of Sotterley Road, in Hollywood, for the reported motor vehicle collision. Deputies arrived on scene and located two vehicles involved in the collision. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Unit responded to the scene and continued the investigation.

Preliminary investigation determined a 2016 Ford Escape operated by Jack Martin Hughes, age 79, of Mechanicsville, was traveling north on Three Notch Road, when for unknown reasons Hughes stopped in the roadway while the traffic light was green. A 2004 International truck operated by Norman Lawrence Buckler, age 36, of Mechanicsville, was unable to stop and struck the rear of Hughes’ vehicle. Emergency personnel removed Hughes from the vehicle and attempted life-saving measures on scene. Hughes was transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. No incapacitating injuries were reported for Buckler.

At this time, speed and alcohol do not appear to be contributing factors in the collision. Anyone who witnessed the collision or events leading to the collision, is asked to contact Deputy First Class Jason Smith at (301) 475-4200 extension 72328 or by email at Jason.Smith@stmarysmd.com.

Citizens may remain anonymous and contact Crime Solvers at (301) 475-3333, or text a tip to “TIP239” plus their message to “CRIMES” (274637). Through the Crime Solvers Program tipsters are eligible for an award of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in St. Mary’s County that leads to an arrest or indictment.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: https://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at https://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at https://so.md/expungeme.