Two-year-old recovering from 25-foot fall into water

By Greg Wehner

(May 6, 2021) A 2-year-old toddler is safe after being ejected from a car and into Assawoman Bay during a multicar crash that left one vehicle dangling over the side of the Route 90 bridge on Sunday.

As horrific as the accident sounds, there were no fatalities reported thanks to the quick response of EMS crews and of a Good Samaritan, who jumped 20-25 feet down into the water from the bridge to save the child’s life.

Ocean City Police officials said this week that the man who jumped into the four to five feet of water immediately began to administer “life-saving” measures to save the child. They added that the man wishes to remain anonymous. The child, who was flown to Johns Hopkins Hospital, has since been released.

On Sunday, at approximately 2:47 p.m., crews from the Ocean City Fire and Ocean City Police departments were dispatched to an accident with injuries on the bridge.

A Worcester County fire marshal who arrived at the scene early reported that one vehicle was halfway over the bridge guardrail and that several people had suffered injuries, according to a press release from the Ocean City Fire Department.

A child, who was restrained by a car seat, fell into the bay from a pickup truck, according to police.

The Good Samaritan immediately jumped off the bridge into the water to save the toddler and was able to get it onboard a pontoon boat nearby.

Ryan Whittington, a spokesman for the department, said the child was flown to the pediatric unit at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

Seven other people injured in the accident were taken to area hospitals — Atlantic General in Berlin and Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury – for treatment.

Whittington said other children were on the scene, though exact details were still being compiled.

Officials said the bridge was closed for six hours after crews arrived on the scene.

During an Ocean City Council meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Rick Meehan praised the quick actions of the “humble hero,” adding that although the accident was tragic, it had a happy ending.

Meehan also said the accident brings to light an even more pressing issue, which is to dualize Route 90. He added if the crash had occurred while trying to evacuate the island, it would have created a “catastrophe.”

Meehan said this near tragedy should help raise awareness of the problems with the two-lane highway Ocean Pines and Ocean City and bring the issue to the top of the list for state legislators.

No further details about the accident were available, as it is still under investigation.