A Bethesda man, 25-year-old Owen Roland Kirill Fowler, has been arrested and charged with Gross Negligent Manslaughter by Vehicle following a fatal collision that took place on March 9, 2024, on Connecticut Avenue near Quincy Street—in the charges, are rooted in tragedy with 30-year-old Jobani Alfredo Cruz of Washington D.C., having lost his life in the incident.
Details provided by the Montgomery County Department of Police - Collision Reconstruction Unit indicate that the accident occurred just after midnight, where Fowler's white 2012 Mercedes SLK convertible and Cruz's white 2023 Ram 1500 pick-up were involved in a speed contest that had them weaving through traffic at high speeds and changing lanes aggressively; it's a scenario that often invites disaster, and it did so here, where it culminated in a calamitous sequence of Cruz's vehicle striking Fowler's, then running off-road into a utility pole and trees, leading to Cruz's vehicle overturning.
Fowler, whose vehicle also overturned in the roadway, survived with non-life-threatening injuries, while Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation into this grievous event underscored a harrowing portrait of reckless driving, with evidence showing Cruz reaching speeds up to 64 MPH in a zone designated for 30 MPH—an infraction compounded by a blood alcohol content of 0.12 BAC, which eclipses the legal limit, and Fowler, adding to the irresponsibility, was found to be driving on a revoked license.
This Wednesday, Fowler was taken into custody and later released on bail set to $5,000—of which he posted 10 percent, allowing his interim freedom pending further legal proceedings.
