One adult killed, seven teens injured in early-morning Germantown crash
A two-vehicle collision on Clopper Road and Great Seneca Highway left one driver dead and seven passengers aged 12 to 15 hospitalized, authorities said.
A crash involving a white Kia Optima and a blue Toyota Matrix occurred at about 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the intersection of Clopper Road and Great Seneca Highway in Germantown. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer reported that the Kia, which police said had been reported stolen earlier that morning, entered the intersection and struck the Toyota.
The driver of the Toyota Matrix, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. The juvenile driver of the Kia was taken to a local hospital in critical but stable condition, and the six other occupants, all between 12 and 15 years old, sustained injuries ranging from non-life-threatening to serious. Police indicated that none of the youths held a driver’s license.
Emergency responders deployed multiple units, including five ambulances, five medic units, four fire engines and several extrication teams. Piringer noted that three patients were classified as priority one, two as priority two and two as priority three under state trauma protocols.
The intersection remained closed for several hours and reopened around 11:30 a.m. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash continues.