A driver has been convicted of manslaughter after striking two U.S. Navy men on the Capital Beltway’s Outer Loop in Prince George’s County, Maryland and fleeing the scene last year, killing one and injuring the other.
A jury found 32-year-old John Mueller, Jr. guilty of criminally negligent manslaughter on Monday in the death of Christian Guerreiro, a 21-year-old enlisted U.S. Navy service member, in Oxon Hill on Aug. 1, 2018.
Prince George’s County prosecutors say Mueller had been driving north on Interstate 495 when he crossed into the right shoulder, where Guerreiro and Ryan Eades, also enlisted in the Navy, were tending to their disabled vehicle.
Mueller struck both victims and kept driving for almost a quarter mile before his own car broke down. He attempted to flee on foot but was located by Maryland State Police at a nearby gas station.
Guerreiro died and Eades, 20, suffered injuries not considered life-threatening.
Mueller faces a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. In addition to manslaughter, he was also convicted for leaving the scene of a fatal accident and driving without a license.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7.
