Macon man charged with drunken driving in Maryland crash that killed 1, hurt 9
(AP) An SUV going the wrong way on the Capital Beltway in Maryland hit two other vehicles, killing one person and injuring nine others, police said. The wrong-way driver initially fled the scene but was soon caught and was charged with drunken driving.
Callers to Maryland State Police late Tuesday reported a vehicle traveling south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 270 in the Bethesda area, according to a news release.
The Mercedes SUV continued the wrong way onto I-495, Washington’s beltway, where it crashed into a Lexus and a Nissan Pathfinder, police said.
Five adults in the Lexus were injured and taken to hospitals. Two adults and three children in the Nissan were injured, and the driver was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
The driver of the Mercedes, Jayleen Hannor, 23, of Macon, Georgia, fled but was caught a short time later, police said. They did not say whether he was also injured.
Hannor has been charged with drunken driving and leaving the scene, police said. Court records didn’t indicate whether Hannor has an attorney to comment on his behalf.
Additional charges are pending.
News Release from Maryland State Police:
UPDATE: Deceased Victim Identified In Fatal Multi-Vehicle Crash In Montgomery County
(ROCKVILLE, MD) – The Maryland State Police Crash team continues the investigation into a multi-vehicle crash which claimed the life of a Pennsylvania woman and injured nine others last night in Montgomery County.
The deceased is identified as Elizabeth Velez, 36, of Easton, Pennsylvania. She was the driver of a Nissan Pathfinder involved in the crash. Velez is the mother of three children, ages 2, 5, and 15, all of whom were passengers in the vehicle.
The front seat passenger in the Nissan is identified as John Tejada, 36, of Pennsylvania. Velez, along with two of the passengers, Tejada and a 15-year-old girl, were transported to Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center. The two younger children, ages 2 and 5, were transported to Inova Hospital in Virginia.
The driver and four passengers of a Lexus SUV were also injured in the crash. All five adults were transported to Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.
Police received 9-1-1 calls reporting a white Mercedes CLS 450 traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-270 near Rockledge Drive last night shortly before midnight. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver, later identified as Jayleen Hannor, 23, of Macon, Georgia continued driving the wrong direction on I-270 on to the outer loop of I-495 when he crashed into a Nissan Pathfinder and a Lexus SUV at exit 34, Route 355. Hannor continued driving until he bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot in the area of Connecticut Avenue.
Hannor was taken into police custody and transported to the Rockville Barrack for processing. He was later transported to Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center where he is currently under police guard.
Hannor faces multiple charges to include driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to immediately return and remain at the scene of a crash involving death. Additional charges are pending further investigation and consultation with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team leads the investigation. Officers from the Montgomery County Police Department assisted at the scene while the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration assisted with lane closures on the outer loop of I-495 in the area of Route 355. All lanes were reopened at 5:00 a.m. this morning.
Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact police at the Rockville Barrack at 301-424-2101. All callers may remain anonymous. The investigation continues.
