FILE PHOTO

(Feb. 7, 2019) A single-vehicle crash early Tuesday morning claimed the life of a 19-year-old Ocean Pines man and shut down portions of Route 50 for several hours.

The lone occupant, Tyler William Birch, was pronounced dead on the scene. Police said his next of kin was notified.

A Maryland State Police spokeswoman said a 911 call at 4:20 a.m. alerted police to the crash near the Glen Riddle community on Route 50 and Riddle Lane. State police, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Ocean City Fire Department responded to the scene.

An initial police report said an investigation “revealed a vehicle heading eastbound left the roadway and struck a group of trees in the median.” A later report added the vehicle, a Ford Escape, left the road “for unknown reasons at this time.”

Both east and westbound Route 50 near the collision were closed for roughly three hours on Tuesday morning.

Police said the investigation is continuing.