WASHINGTON — A four-vehicle collision on U.S. Route 50 injured at least four people on Sunday evening, sparking hours of delays for beachgoers returning from Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The accident occurred at 7 p.m. just east of the junction with Maryland Route 404 in Talbot County, and blocked all lanes of U.S. 50 in both directions, according to the Maryland State Police. An initial crash between a Mercedes and a Honda Civic spiraled into a four-car collision involving two other vehicles. All four passengers of the Honda that was initially struck were taken to nearby hospitals, with two requiring transport to University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma in Baltimore. In a tweet, the Maryland Department of Transportation described the incident as a “serious situation,” as a helicopter was called in to transport the two passengers.

Update. MEDEVAC is enroute. All lanes both directions remain closed. Please remain patient if you are returning home from the beach. This is a serious situation. #mdotnews jts

— MD State Highway Adm (@MDSHA) August 26, 2018

The at-fault driver has been charged with negligent driving, police said in a news release. At 9 p.m., MDOT reported the scene had been cleared and all lanes reopened.