Tragedy struck Wicomico County last night when an 18-year-old driver, later identified as Matthew Garcia from Rockville, Maryland, lost his life in a single-vehicle crash, the Maryland State Police investigators have reported. Garcia's Honda Civic was traveling on S. Division Street when it careened through a stop sign, attempted to navigate a turn, and ultimately crashed into a guardrail before coming to a stop in Coulbourn Mill Pond.
According to the Maryland State Police, the accident happened around 8:41 p.m. The State Police Aviation Command airlifted Garcia to a trauma center, where, he was pronounced deceased. The crash also injured two passengers, Andy Fon Koh and Eyuael Zewdie, both 18 years old, from Takoma Park, Maryland and Washington, D.C., respectively. Koh was similarly airlifted to a shock trauma center, while Zewdie was transported via ambulance to a local hospital.
The devastating incident prompted a response from both the Fruitland Police Department and the troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack. After assessing the scene, investigators suggested that speeding might have contributed to the fatal crash. The collision resulted in road closures spanning more than four hours to give investigators and first responders the space to conduct their work and clear the scene.
As the leading agency at the behest of the Fruitland Police Department, the Maryland State Police Crash Team is deep in an active, ongoing investigation into the specifics of the event.
