UPDATE: Man Flown Out After Friday Morning Accident

UPDATE (10 a.m. Monday)—An accident in the Creswell area claimed the life of a Forest Hill man and closed a portion of Maryland Route 543 to traffic Friday morning.

Around 7:40 a.m. three cars crashed in the area of MD Route 543 and Goat Hill Road in the Bel Air, Creswell area, according to Maryland State Police with the Bel Air Barrack.

Thomas John Higgins, 52, of Guy Way in Dundalk, was driving a 2005 Ford van northbound on Creswell Road, or Maryland Route 543, when the van crossed the center line and swiped a Chevrolet Malibu heading southbound, according to state police.

After hitting the Malibu, which was driven by 62-year-old John Maxwell French of Kirby Circle in Bel Air, the van deflected off of the other vehicle and hit a third car head-on.

The third vehicle, 1 1995 Volkswagen Golf, was driven by George Kreutzer Jr., 53, of High Point Road in Forest Hill, according to police.

Kreutzer was trapped inside his Volkswagen Golf and emergency crews worked to remove him from the car, according to , spokesman for .

Kreutzer was flown by medevac helicopter to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for treatment where, around 9 a.m., he died as a result of his injuries, according to state police.

Higgins was taken by ambulance to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center with minor injuries. He was later released.

Police believe Higgins fell asleep at the wheel which led the van to drift into oncoming traffic.

MD Route 543 in the area of Goat Hill Road remained closed to traffic at 8:26 a.m.

Troopers are consulting with the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office to determine the appropriate charges.

Maryland Route 543 is no stranger to traffic fatalities, with Friday's crash being the second deadly accident on that road within two weeks. On Feb. 20, a .

In July, after a head-on collision on Maryland Route 543 in front of the Fountain Green Swim Club.

In August, an accident on that same state road in the area of Walter's Mill Road caused serious injuries and brought two medevac helicopters to the scene.

In October, man died after a motorcycle crash at the intersection of Maryland Route 543 and Route 7.