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Suspects being sought in fatal hit and run on Whaleyville Rd.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Aug. 9, 2018) Police had no new information as of Tuesday on the fatal hit and run last Friday night that claimed the life of 75-year-old Sharon Bonewell of Bourbonnais, Illinois. What is known is that two unidentified people fled the scene after the crash.

According to the Maryland State Police, a three-vehicle collision occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Whaleyville Road, between Peerless Road and Murray Road.

Police said a dark gray 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan traveling east crossed over the solid double yellow line in the road and into the path of two passenger cars: a black 2017 Nissan Altima and white 2017 Kia Rio.

The Grand Caravan struck the Altima on the front passenger side and “veered and struck the guardrail, overturned, and went off the shoulder of the roadway coming to rest on its roof,” police said.

The Rio “only received superficial damage,” according to police. The driver of that car, 53-year-old Cynthia Roberts of Dover, Delaware and two juvenile passengers, were said to be uninjured.

However, all four occupants of the Altima, all residents of Bourbonnais, Illinois, were injured during the crash. The driver, 44-year-old William Butler and one juvenile passenger, received minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.

Two other passengers, Bonewell and 43-year-old Carla Butler, received serious injuries and were taken to the Level III Emergency/Trauma Center at PRMC.

Police said Bonewell was transported via medevac by the Maryland State Police Aviation Command, Trooper 4 and later succumbed to her injuries.

According to police, witnesses near the collision saw an unidentified black male driver and white female passenger exit the overturned Grand Caravan and “run east from the crash scene.”

“They were then observed getting into a blue passenger car which left the scene. No additional information regarding the blue passenger car was provided. Witnesses said the female occupant was limping as she ran from the scene,” police said.

Ron Snyder, Maryland State Police public information officer, on Tuesday said there were no further updates and no additional information was available regarding the blue passenger car.

Fire and EMS units from Showell, Berlin and Ocean Pines went to the scene and “extricated the trapped occupants of the passenger car, and provided emergency medical treatment and transport,” police said.

The Maryland State Police Crash Unit assisted in the investigation, which is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the duty officer at the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack, 410-641-3101.