Mechanicsville, MD (August 18, 2026) – An 88-year-old woman was flown to a trauma center after a two-vehicle wreck on southbound Three Notch Road near Faunkirk Drive on Monday afternoon, August 17, according to St. Mary’s County authorities. Police, firefighters, and EMS responded around 4:36 p.m.
The woman was bleeding and had chest pains and trouble breathing at the scene. Medics requested a helicopter, and a Maryland State Police Aviation Command trooper flew her to an area trauma center with serious injuries. A 55-year-old man, the second patient, was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is performing a crash reconstruction. We hope both patients have a full recovery.
Why Do Chest Pain and Breathing Trouble Prompt an Immediate Helicopter Request?
When a patient shows signs like chest pain combined with difficulty breathing, crews treat it as a potential indicator of internal injury, even before a full diagnosis is possible on scene. These symptoms can point to issues affecting the lungs, heart, or major blood vessels, all of which can worsen quickly without rapid treatment.
Age adds another layer of urgency in cases like this, since older patients are generally more vulnerable to complications from the same level of trauma a younger person might tolerate better. This combination of symptoms and age shortens the window that crews have to get a patient into specialized care.
Requesting air transport early, even before all details are confirmed, reflects this urgency, since quickly getting a patient to a trauma center can meaningfully affect their outcome when internal injuries are suspected.
