The Brief
A 31-year-old woman has died after Saturday night’s hit-and-run crash in Bladensburg that injured more than a dozen people.
Police say the 66-year-old driver from Washington, D.C., turned himself in and faces pending criminal charges.
Eight children and six adults were hurt when a car slammed into a birthday party on 55th Avenue.
BLADENSBURG, Md. – Bladensburg police say a Washington, D.C., woman has died, and multiple others were hurt after a driver plowed into a crowd gathered in a yard tent for a child’s birthday party Saturday night, turning a neighborhood celebration into tragedy.
What we know:
The Bladensburg Police Department confirmed Sunday that the crash has now been classified as a fatal hit-and-run.
The woman killed has been identified as 31-year-old Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez, of Washington, D.C. Police say the 66-year-old male driver, also from D.C., turned himself in and was interviewed by crash investigators.
Prosecutors with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office are reviewing the case, and criminal charges are pending. The identity of the driver has not yet been released.
The backstory:
Investigators say a vehicle left the road around 10 p.m. Saturday and struck a group of people gathered outside a home on the 4100 block of 55th Avenue.
Police now say 14 people were injured in total — eight children ranging from 1 to 17 years old and six adults, including the woman who died.
Six of the children have been treated and released, while one remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Three adults are still admitted and stable, one is pending treatment, and one has been released.
What’s next:
The investigation remains active as police reconstruct the crash and continue coordinating with county prosecutors.