A Pennsylvania mother was killed and several other people were hurt after a driver going the wrong way crashed into two vehicles on the Capital Beltway in Montgomery County, Maryland, late Tuesday night, authorities said.
Maryland State Police said 23-year-old Jayleen Hannor, of Macon, Georgia, was under the influence of alcohol and behind the wheel of a Mercedes that was going the wrong way before the fatal crash.
Hannor is facing multiple charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to immediately return and remain at the scene of a crash involving death.
Maryland State Police identified the woman who was killed as Elizabeth Velez, 36, of Easton, Pennsylvania. She was driving a Nissan Pathfinder with four other people in the car, including her three children, when police say Hannor crashed into them on the Outer Loop of the Beltway near Maryland Route 355.
Velez, an adult passenger and Velez’s three children — ages 2, 5 and 15 — were all taken to the hospital. Police didn’t describe their condition.
Police said Hannor also crashed into a Lexus SUV with five adults inside, who were also taken to the hospital with injuries.
According to police, the series of events leading to the crash began about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday when Hannor drove the wrong way in the northbound lanes on Interstate 270 near Rockledge Drive in Bethesda. State police said troopers received numerous calls about the Mercedes going the wrong way.
Police said Hannor continued going the wrong way onto the Outer Loop of the Beltway where he then crashed into the two other vehicles. After the crash, police said Hannor bailed out of the Mercedes and fled on foot in the area of Connecticut Avenue.
Hannor was arrested a short time later and was initially taken to the Rockville Barrack for processing. Later, he was taken to the hospital, where he is currently under police guard. Police didn’t say what injuries, if any, Hannor had.
