Fatal Traffic Accidents

Maryland Accidents Involving Young and Inexperienced Drivers

June 9, 2016 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Driving is a privilege that many people take for granted. It used to be that not everyone needed a driver’s license. However, in today’s society, with urban sprawl an ever-increasing reality, even young drivers need a license to get to and from school and work. These young drivers, while they are required to attend a driver’s education course and pass applicable practical tests, do not always possess the judgment and real-world experience necessary to safely operate motor vehicles in all conditions.

Indeed, according to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control, young drivers aged 15-25 represent only 14% of the total driving population, but they end up being involved in over 30% of the total accidents. Interestingly, there are several contributing factors that experts cite when explaining the heightened dangers:

Speeding is involved in about 35% of all teen-driver crashes.
The presence of at least one male passenger in the car increases the likelihood of an accident.
Alcohol is involved in 25% of accidents involving teens.
Teens are less likely to wear their seat-belts, increasing the severity of the injuries suffered in most of the accidents.

Driver in Tragic Oklahoma Parade Accident May Have Been Acting Intentionally

November 3, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, three adults and one two-year-old child were killed when a woman crashed through a barricade at the Oklahoma State University homecoming parade. Somewhere around 46 others were injured. In a recent local news article, prosecutors told reporters that they believe the woman behind the wheel that day was acting intentionally when she drove her car into the crowd of people.

Evidently, the driver of the vehicle crashed through a barricade and then drove over an unmanned police motorcycle before crashing into the crowd of people. In the aftermath of the accident, police arrested the woman under suspicion of driving under the influence. Prosecutors overseeing the case believe that the tragedy looked as though it was intentionally caused. The results of the toxicology testing have yet to come back from the lab, and charges against the woman are currently pending.

The family of the woman, as well as her attorney, explained to reporters that she has suffered from mental health issues in the past, and this sort of conduct was not in her character.

Young Parents Killed in Tragic Clinton Car Accident

September 16, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a young mother and father were killed when the vehicle in which they were riding was struck by another motorist. According to one local news report, the accident occurred just a few blocks from the couple’s home in Clinton.

Evidently, the couple had guests over and stepped out for a few moments. As they were pulling out of their neighborhood, they began to make a right turn. However, before they could finish the turn, another motorist struck their vehicle from the rear. Both the husband and the wife were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. They left behind three children, ages 10, nine, and two.

Neighbors of the couple told reporters that the intersection where the accident occurred is known as one where drivers routinely speed. Police are currently conducting an investigation into the cause of the fatal accident. However, at the time of the article’s publication, the driver of the other vehicle was not facing criminal charges for his role in the fatal accident.

Maryland Couple Dies in Prince George County Accident

September 9, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a Clinton couple died as a result of a fatal accident involving several other vehicles. According to one local news source, the accident took place at the intersection of Kirby Road and Tinkers Creek Drive just before two in the afternoon on a Sunday.

Evidently, two cars had slowed down to allow the victims’ vehicle to turn onto Kirby Road from Tinkers Creek Drive. However, a third vehicle coming up from behind those two vehicles crossed over the median, attempting to pass the slower-moving vehicles. As that third vehicle got back into the proper lane of travel, it rear-ended the victims’ vehicle, which had just turned onto the road and hadn’t had a chance to pick up speed.

When emergency responders arrived at the scene, they found the couple in critical condition. It wasn’t until a few moments later, when they were at the hospital, that they were officially pronounced dead. The driver of the other vehicle suffered only minor injuries.

Pedestrian Killed in Tragic Lanham Accident, Police Considering Homicide Charges

September 2, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month in Lanham, Maryland, one man was killed when he was struck by a car that was being operated by a woman whom he was romantically involved with, possibly his wife. According to one local news report, the accident took place on the 9400 block of Washington Boulevard and Seabrook Road. Witnesses on the scene at the time told reporters that it appeared as though the driver of the car targeted the pedestrian.

Evidently, the vehicle was traveling on Seabrook Drive when it suddenly changed its direction of travel and collided with the pedestrian. After the pedestrian was hit, he became airborne and landed next to a tree that was a few feet off the roadway. Witnesses told reporters that the driver of the car then drove up over the curb and into the tree, crushing the man.

Witness accounts differ, but some people say that the woman started screaming that it was her husband and that he had been beating her. Other accounts suggest that she found out that he was being unfaithful. In either event, it seems as though it could have been an intentional act. Police, however, did not immediately determine that the incident was a homicide and instead opened an investigation.

One Minor Killed and Two Others Injured in Mt. Airy Car Accident

August 4, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, one juvenile was killed and two others injured in a head-on collision in Mt. Airy, Maryland. According to one local news report, the accident occurred at around ten in the morning near the intersection of Md. 27 and Michael Road.

Evidently, the juvenile was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a 29-year-old resident of Taneytown. At some point, that vehicle began to drift out of its lane and into oncoming traffic. As it did so, the vehicle collided head-on with a dump truck heading in the opposite direction.

The minor was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers. Both drivers were taken to the hospital as well. The dump truck driver suffered only minor injuries, while the driver of the car in which the minor was a passenger was in critical condition at the time of the article’s publication.

State Trooper in Serious Condition after Roadside Accident on Interstate 95 in Laurel

July 23, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Laurel, Maryland, a Maryland State Trooper was seriously injured when he was struck by a passing motorist as he was conducting a traffic stop. According to one local news source, the accident occurred during the afternoon rush hour on Wednesday, July 9.

Evidently, the State Trooper had pulled over a Ford that he believed had invalid license plates. The Ford pulled over on the side of Interstate 95, between Routes 175 and 32. As the Trooper was approaching the vehicle, a Mercury traveling down I-95 left its lane of travel and struck the Trooper’s vehicle.

Once struck by the Mercury, the Trooper’s vehicle then struck the Ford, which struck the Trooper and sent him over the guardrail. The Trooper was flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore. The driver of the Mercury and the Ford were also taken to a nearby hospital and are expected to fully recover from their injuries.

32-Year-Old Pedestrian Killed in D.C. Hit-and-Run Accident

July 16, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Washington, D.C., a woman was killed as she was standing next to her disabled vehicle on the Suitland Parkway. According to one local news report, the woman was struck by an eastbound pick-up truck at around 10:15 in the evening as she was standing on the south side of the Suitland Parkway. The driver of the truck failed to stop and see if the woman needed medical attention.

Evidently, the driver of the truck continued eastbound for a short while before rear-ending another vehicle and then crashing into a light pole. Once his vehicle was disabled, police were able to catch up to the driver and arrest him.

The pedestrian who was hit by the truck was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. The cause of death was listed as massive body trauma. The driver of the pick-up truck sustained minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. Police arrested the driver and charged him with second-degree murder as well as with fleeing the scene of an accident resulting in death. Police believe that the man was speeding at the time of the accident.

Route 404 Accident Results in the Death of One Man

July 9, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Easton, one man was killed in a two-car accident on Route 404, near the area of Owens Road and US Route 50. According to one local news report, the fatal accident took place around 8:20 in the evening on July 5.

Evidently, a Buick was making a turn onto Route 404 from Owens Road when it was struck by a southbound BMW. The collision involved such force that the Buick essentially broke into pieces and caught fire. The BMW ultimately came to a rest upside-down in a nearby ditch. The driver of the BMW and his passenger were both taken to nearby hospitals, but the driver of the Buick was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers.

Police are conducting an investigation into the accident in hopes of learning more about what may have caused the fatal accident. No citations have been issued yet, but that may change as the investigation is concluded.

Upper Marlboro Man Found Guilty of Son’s Death in Reckless Driving Accident

June 17, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Upper Marlboro, a man who was charged with motor-vehicle manslaughter in relation to an accident that resulted in his son’s death was found guilty and will be sentenced later this year in August. According to one local news report, the man was originally charged with driving under the influence of PCP, but the jury determined that the prosecution failed to prove that crime beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted him only under the motor-vehicle manslaughter charges.

Evidently, the fatal accident occurred on May 9, 2013, when the man charged above lost control of his vehicle. According to court documents, the man was heading south on Bladensburg Road at a high rate of speed. As he attempted to change lanes, he veered across the center line and into oncoming traffic. As he lost control, his vehicle crashed into several other vehicles before colliding with two utility poles, a tree, and ultimately a retaining wall.

In the car at the time of the accident was the man’s son as well as his girlfriend’s daughter. His girlfriend’s daughter sustained minor injuries but recovered. However, the man’s son was not secured in a car seat at the time of the accident and was ejected from the vehicle upon impact. The four-year-old boy died as a result of the injuries he sustained. The driver was also ejected and suffered life-threatening injuries, although he has since recovered.