Local News
32-year-old Harry Washington III Killed in Motorcycle Crash In Charles County
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — Maryland State Police are actively investigating a fatal motorcycle crash and searching for a driver who fled the scene following a collision along Maryland Route 210 on Tuesday evening.
Authorities have identified the deceased motorcyclist as 32-year-old Harry Washington III, of Indian Head, Maryland.
Washington was operating a Suzuki motorcycle at the time of the crash.
A 9-year-old girl, believed to be his daughter, was riding as a passenger.
Both Washington and the child were transported by medical helicopter to area hospitals after the collision. Despite emergency efforts, Washington later died from his injuries.
The condition of the young passenger has not been publicly disclosed.
According to preliminary findings, the crash occurred around 7:40 p.m. near the intersection of Maryland Route 210 and Jenkins Lane.
Investigators say an orange 2013 Dodge Dart entered the southbound lanes of Route 210, crossing into the path of the oncoming motorcycle and causing the collision.
Following the crash, both the driver and a passenger in the Dodge Dart fled the scene on foot.
Authorities later confirmed that the passenger, identified as Jose Osmin Orellana Santamaria, 43, of White Plains, returned and requested medical assistance. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The driver of the Dodge Dart remains at large, and state police are urging the public to come forward with any information that could assist in locating the suspect.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the ongoing investigation. Officials are asking anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts of the driver to contact Sergeant Justin Zimmerman at 301-392-1200 or via email at justin.zimmerman@maryland.gov.
Traffic along Route 210 was shut down for nearly three hours as troopers conducted an on-scene investigation and crash reconstruction.
Assistance was provided by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
In the wake of the crash, Maryland State Police are reminding drivers to practice safe driving habits, including avoiding aggressive, distracted, and impaired driving. Motorcyclists are encouraged to follow the “ATGATT” principle — All The Gear, All The Time — to improve visibility and protection on the road.
Motorists are also urged to remain vigilant, check blind spots, and “look twice” for motorcycles, especially at intersections.
The investigation into the fatal crash remains active and ongoing as authorities work to determine all contributing factors and locate the driver who fled the scene.
Local News
Jimmy Brooks Killed in Wrong-Way Tesla Crash on I-26 in Buncombe County, Driver Bradley Vance Charged
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Jimmy Lee Brooks, 42, of Leicester, North Carolina, died after a wrong-way Tesla crash involving three vehicles on Interstate 26 near Asheville on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2026.
Several other people were injured in the collision, and the Tesla driver has been charged in connection with the fatal crash.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Bradley Vance Lanier, 54, of Taylors, South Carolina, was driving a Tesla westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-26 near Exit 37 when the vehicle struck a Honda SUV head-on before colliding with a Honda passenger car.
Brooks was a passenger in the Honda passenger car. He was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said troopers responded to the crash at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday near mile marker 37 on eastbound I-26.
According to the agency’s statement, the Tesla entered the interstate traveling west in the eastbound lanes near Exit 37, also associated with Long Shoals Road. The vehicle first struck a Honda SUV head-on and then collided with a Honda passenger car.
A trooper from a neighboring county arrived shortly after the collision and began providing assistance to a passenger inside the Honda passenger car.
The car’s driver and two passengers were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. Brooks was among the passengers and later died at the hospital. Authorities said the conditions of the other occupants were not immediately known.
The driver of the Honda SUV was also taken to Mission Hospital with minor injuries and was later released.
Lanier, the driver of the Tesla, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital before being released, according to the Highway Patrol.
Troopers subsequently charged him with four offenses:
- Driving while impaired (DWI)
- Felony death by vehicle
- Felony serious injury
- Reckless driving
Following his release from the hospital, Lanier was taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where he was being held on a $5 million secured bond, according to the agency’s statement.
The charges are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system. The official statement does not establish a conviction.
Interstate 26 was closed for approximately two hours while troopers investigated the collision and documented the scene.
The investigation centers on the circumstances that led the Tesla to travel in the wrong direction on the eastbound side of the interstate and the subsequent collisions involving the two Honda vehicles.
Authorities have not released the current medical conditions of all the injured occupants.
The fatal crash claimed the life of Brooks, a Leicester resident, and left several other people requiring hospital treatment.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. Further information about the case may be released as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.