A 26-year-old man who police say was behind a deadly hit-and-run in Gaithersburg did not make his international getaway. He was arrested Friday at Newark Liberty International Airport as he tried to board a flight to Honduras in connection with a crash earlier in the week that left a 56-year-old pedestrian dead after the driver took off.
According to Fox5 DC, Montgomery County police say officers were called around 4:47 a.m. to the area of Muddy Branch Road and West Diamond Avenue, where they found a pedestrian suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene after being struck by a vehicle that did not remain.
Gaithersburg officers later found a gray 2011 Honda CR-V with front-end damage near the crash site and, investigators say, identified the driver as 26-year-old Josue David Carranza Castellion, according to WMAR-2 News. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and say Carranza Castellion is charged with manslaughter by vehicle and failure to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in death. The victim was identified as 56-year-old Brian Roy Longaberger, who died at the scene.
Police seek witnesses
Montgomery County detectives are asking anyone who was in the area that morning to check dash-cam, home security, or business surveillance systems for video of the vehicle or the moments leading up to the crash, as reported by The MoCo Show. Investigators say they are still working to map out the Honda's path after the collision and to better understand how Longaberger ended up in the roadway.
Legal next steps
Carranza Castellion was taken into custody at Newark Liberty while attempting to board a flight to Honduras and is being held in Elizabeth, New Jersey, as he awaits extradition to Maryland, WMAR-2 News reports. Once he is returned to Montgomery County, prosecutors will review the case file and move forward with formal charges. Police say more details will be shared as the investigation continues.
