A 16-year-old from Laurel faces auto manslaughter and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle charges for their role in a fatal Howard County crash that left 69-year-old Bonnie Fuller Griffith dead, authorities disclosed. According to a news release by FOX Baltimore, the accident, which involved a stolen vehicle and occurred on Guilford Road, led to the teen's hospitalization and subsequent placement in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Services upon release.
The collision that claimed Griffith's life happened last Friday when a stolen Hyundai Sonata attempted an ill-fated pass by a turning Tesla Model Y, sideswiping it along with a Honda Fit and later colliding head-on with a Honda Civic, driving it, police explained. After the incident, which resulted in Griffith's death at Howard County General Hospital, her daughter Kim lamented the tragedy, saying, "Our family and friends are grieving an unimaginable loss and are hoping the community does what it can to support this investigation," in a statement detailed by FOX Baltimore. Meanwhile, a local resident, Regan Nelson, captured the aftermath on video, expressing disbelief upon finding out the chaotic event sprang from the theft of a car, questioning the societal circumstances that led to such an outcome.
The stolen Sonata was identified by Howard County Police as having been reported missing from Prince George's County just days before the crash. As per a report by WBAL-TV, officers at the scene gathered preliminary details of what unfolded, aided by a dashcam recording from one of the involved vehicles, which showed the collision sequence, revealing a grim picture of the events leading to the fatality.
Following the accident, four youths fled the Sonata, one of whom was apprehended and is currently facing charges, while the search for the remaining suspects continues; Howard County police urge anyone with information to contact them.
