Maryland State Police say a driver has died in a wrong-way crash that brought the Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway to a halt early Wednesday morning.
A spokesperson for the department says the crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. in Prince George’s County and involved two SUVs — a Lincoln Navigator and Buick Enclave.
A preliminary investigation showed the Lincoln was heading south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 495 when the two SUVs collided.
The driver of the Buick, Mignon Allison Kirksey, 51, of Brandywine, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Lincoln, a 30-year-old woman, was taken to the hospital for treatment. Police did not detail the extent of her injuries.
No charges have been filed yet. Maryland State Police said once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, which will make the ultimate decision on what charges to pursue.
The crash investigation just past Md. Route 214/Central Avenue, which is Exit 15, shut down portions of I-495 for over six hours.
Lanes were blocked for roughly four miles between Exit 11, Forestville, and Exit 15, Landover.
The crash was cleared after 9 a.m. though some delays continued along the Beltway.
FINAL: I-495 Beltway Outer Loop @ MD-214 Central Ave (x15), crash investigation CLEARED, delays remain #MdTraffic #Landover #DCTraffic
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Listen 🔗 https://t.co/KpJlqpKxN7 https://t.co/se98uQY4qj— WTOP Traffic (@WTOPtraffic) June 8, 2022
WTOP’s Colleen Kelleher and Will Vitka contributed to this report.
