A grand jury in Prince George’s County, Maryland, has indicted a man who allegedly was drunk when he crashed his SUV into a car carrying three young children and their parents.
The children – 5-year-old twins and a 1-year-old – were killed and their parents seriously injured.
The driver now faces several serious charges, including three counts of vehicular manslaughter caused by gross negligence in the death of the children. He also has been charged with two counts of causing life-threatening injuries by motor vehicle – in the case of the parents — while under the influence of alcohol.
It is alleged the man was speeding on the evening of Dec. 30, 2018, when he hit the family’s Honda Accord, which was stopped at a light on Route 210 – also called Indian Head Highway — in Oxon Hill, Maryland, the state’s attorney said.
The man was driving a Chevrolet Silverado, and the impact with the Honda caused a chain reaction and involved four cars in all. The Silverado landed on top of the backseat of the Honda, where the children were seated.
The youngsters died on impact. The family was returning home from church and a buffet dinner.
The driver of the Silverado had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .17, which is more than double Maryland’s legal limit. He had attended a Washington Redskins game that day, according to reports.
The loss of the children is tragic, but there could be more to this case than just an allegedly impaired driver. AAA has labeled Indian Head Highway as one of the most dangerous in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
According to statistics from the Maryland State Highway Administration, there have been more than 60 deaths due to vehicle crashes on that road in 11 years. Last October, a speed camera was installed after a 24-year-old woman heading to a job interview was killed in a crash.