A woman is facing charges such as driving under the influence after police say she caused a chain-reaction crash involving more than 20 vehicles on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in January.
On a foggy Saturday morning, a series of crashes on the westbound span of the bridge involving around 40 vehicles (when counting secondary crashes that followed the initial chain-reaction crash) led to a six-hour traffic jam Jan. 27.
After months of investigating, Maryland Transportation Authority officers took Gwendolyn Persina, 48, of Chester, Maryland, into custody Wednesday, according to a news release.
Police said Persina was speeding in her 2018 Honda Civic when she crashed into another vehicle just before 8 a.m., causing a chain-reaction crash that involved 23 vehicles.
Secondary crashes that followed involved another 20 vehicles, according to investigators.
One person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Another 11 people were also taken to the hospital, according to MDTA.
The westbound span was closed for around six hours while officials investigated the crashes; it reopened just before 2 p.m.
In addition to DUI, Persina is being charged with driving on a suspended license and causing life-threatening injuries by driving a vehicle.
In a separate case from the crash in January, Maryland court records show Persina pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of driving while impaired by alcohol in 2022. At the time, she was sentenced to 18 months probation.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
