More than a year after a deadly crash at a busy Silver Spring intersection, a 25-year-old Severn man is now facing criminal charges in the wreck that killed 28-year-old Jiwon Kim.
Andrew Joe Machinjiri has been charged with negligent manslaughter by vehicle and related traffic offenses in connection with the Feb. 28, 2025 collision at Norbeck Road and Layhill Road. Investigators say a tractor-trailer hit Kim’s smaller vehicle and dragged it along the roadway before finally coming to a stop.
According to a press release from the Montgomery County Department of Police, the department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit concluded that Machinjiri was at fault in the crash, and charges were filed on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. He was taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit and later released on a $1,000 bond.
Early accounts described a chaotic, devastating scene at midday traffic. The Freightliner tractor with an attached Brazos dump trailer collided with a northbound Kia around 12:48 p.m. and pushed the SUV down the road before stopping. As reported by Bethesda Magazine, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue crews arrived to find the Kia’s driver trapped and the tractor-trailer resting on top of the SUV. Kim was pronounced dead at the scene. In the days that followed, detectives urged anyone who witnessed the Feb. 28, 2025 crash to contact investigators.
Investigation Led To Charges
In the Montgomery County Department of Police statement, officials said Collision Reconstruction Unit investigators spent months analyzing the crash scene, vehicle evidence, and other data before concluding that Machinjiri’s actions were the primary contributing factor. That lengthy technical investigation, police said, is why charges were not filed until this year.
What Comes Next
The case is expected to move through the county court system under the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office. Arraignment dates and pretrial hearings have not yet been announced. The State’s Attorney’s Office maintains a media center that posts filings and updates as cases progress.
Anyone with information about the Feb. 28, 2025 collision is asked to contact the Montgomery County police Collision Reconstruction Unit at (240) 773-6620, per local reporting. Media inquiries about the recent charging decision can be directed to the contacts listed in the county’s statement.
