WASHINGTON — A Montgomery County 19-year-old has been charged in a crash that killed two passengers in his car in June.
Samuel Ellis, 19, is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
Then 18-year-old Ellis was the driver in a North Potomac crash that led to the deaths of Calvin Li and Alexander Murk. Both Li and Murk were 18 years old and all three were recent graduates of Thomas S. Wooton High School in Rockville.
Ellis was indicted on a separate count for the injuries another passenger sustained in the crash.
The crash happened after they had been attending an underage drinking party in North Potomac. A parent who was home at the time of that party was also cited.
“People don’t understand that under the law in Maryland, if you allow the kids to gather with their own beer in your basement, you are furnishing under the law,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said. “Those who furnish should be subject to a higher penalty. That’s something we’ve gotta deal with in Annapolis.”
Police say the occupants of the car left the party, and were traveling west in the 13800 block of Dufief Mill Road, near the Travilah Elementary School, when the car left the road and hit a tree shortly before midnight.
The car ended up in the front yard of a house.
Montgomery County police told reporters that beer containers, “still cool to the touch,” were found in the vehicle driven by Ellis the night of the crash.
Ellis’ next scheduled court hearing is set for Nov. 20.
Michael McAuliffe, Ellis’ attorney, had no comment following the indictment.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
