An Edgemere man was listed in critical condition Nov. 12 after being ejected from his vehicle in a single vehicle collision Nov. 11 at the intersection of routes 29 and 216 in Scaggsville, according to Howard County Police.

The collision occurred Nov. 11 at 6:43 p.m. when Jeffrey Allen Semelka, 40 , of Edgemere, was driving a 2004 Nissan Sentra on Route 29 and lost control of the vehicle as he attempted to exit onto Route 216, police said.

Police said Semelka was driving too fast, which caused his vehicle to veer off the left side of the roadway, strike a sign support post and eject him from the vehicle. Police said Semelka was not wearing a seat belt.

Semelka was flown by Maryland State Police Medivac to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore where he was listed in critical condition Nov. 12, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The collision is the second time in four days that Howard police have investigated a serious collision involving an unbelted occupant of a vehicle.

Roger Gene Bartrug, 22, of the 6100 block of Turnabout Lane, in Columbia, was pronounced dead at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center Nov. 9 following a collision in Columbia Nov. 8 in which police said Bartrug was not wearing a seat belt.

Bartrug was a passenger in a Ford Ranger pickup truck driven by Alexander Randolph Camorali, 23, of Columbia, according to police.

Camorali lost control of the truck of in the southbound lane of Harpers Farm Road at the intersection of Twin Rivers Road in Columbia at about 2:24 a.m. Nov. 8, according to police. The truck went into the median, struck a tree, and overturned as Bartrug was thrown from the vehicle, police said. Bartrug was transported by ambulance to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, police said. He was pronounced dead Nov. 9, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Camorali, 23, of the 5400 block of Half Flight Garth, in Columbia, fled the scene but was arrested at his residence several hours later, police said. He has been charged with driving on a suspended license, hit and run and vehicular manslaughter, police said.

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user comments (1)

user says...

As my family grieves for my brother while he is still in ICU, I take the time to write this response if only in hopes that writing about it will help. First, the story did not mention that the car flipped over at least 3 times, and it may be that because he was ejected from the car, that he was actually able to survive. (Not to mention that 2 wonderful people called in for help right away, Medivac by air responded swiftly, and a great surgeon did all he could and believed in himself, all made the difference also.) Secondly, try and call the Howard Police about this incident, and the whole staff seems to have no record of it ever taking place. Having worked with law enforcement myself, I couldn't believe how difficult it was for our family to get information from them, and for that matter, just acknowledge that their agency was handling the report. My main point is not to encourage people to drive without seat belts, or that Howard Co PD is unorganized, but rather that sometimes, when all looks grim, to never stop praying, hoping, and with a little help from something beyond us, a miracle could happen. Get better Bro!
-Richard

Posted 1:34 AM, 11.13.08

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