Teen driver in stolen Kia linked to crash that killed Virginia engineer

Montgomery County police identified the driver of a stolen 2015 Kia Optima involved in a two-vehicle crash in Germantown as a 13-year-old boy. The accident, which occurred shortly after 5:25 a.m. at the intersection of Clopper Road and Great Seneca Highway, resulted in the death of William Vance Payne II, 58, who was driving a blue 2007 Toyota Matrix eastbound on Clopper Road. Payne, a mechanical engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Gaithersburg facility, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Kia, reported stolen from a Germantown residence, carried four girls aged 12 to 14 and three boys aged 12 to 15. All seven passengers were injured; the 13-year-old driver was taken to a local hospital in critical but stable condition, while the others were transported to various trauma centers. Police confirmed no adult was present in the Kia.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded to the overturned vehicles, providing treatment to multiple patients, including three with serious injuries. Dozens of first-responders, including ambulance, fire, and rescue personnel, were on scene.

A GoFundMe campaign set up for Payne’s family has raised over $17,800, supporting his wife Lisa and their five children. The police collision reconstruction unit continues to investigate, with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office expected to decide on any charges after the inquiry.

"The crash involved an overturned vehicle, entrapment and multiple injured patients," said MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer.