A 3-year-old child was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of St. Charles Parkway and St. Ignatius Drive in Waldorf on Saturday evening and was flown by helicopter to Children’s National Hospital with serious injuries. The child was initially reported unconscious after the collision but later regained some consciousness, and remained in serious condition as of the latest reports.
According to The BayNet, the incident was reported at approximately 5:29 p.m., while smnewsnet.com reported that police, firefighters and emergency medical services were alerted to the scene at approximately 5:31 p.m. The two outlets differ slightly on the timing, but both agree the call came in describing a young child struck by a vehicle and lying in the roadway, according to 911 callers cited in the report.
Firefighters, emergency medical personnel and law enforcement responded to the area, and Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 2 quickly launched and landed near the scene, per the same account. The child was transported by helicopter to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., with serious injuries, and was reported as semi-conscious and breathing at the time the helicopter took off.
Vehicle Remained at the Scene as Investigation Continues
Investigators said the vehicle that struck the child was traveling approximately 30 mph and had visible damage to its bumper. The driver did not flee — the striking vehicle remained on the scene, and the case is still under investigation, the report notes.
No further details about the identities of the child or the driver have been released, and the circumstances that led up to the collision have not been made public. Police have not said who had the right of way or how the crash unfolded.
Same Intersection Has Seen Prior Crashes
The stretch of St. Charles Parkway near St. Ignatius Drive has drawn police attention before. In November 2021, a driver was critically injured in a crash at the same intersection, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office, which said its Traffic Operations Unit was continuing that investigation.
More recently, in May 2024, officers responded to a single-vehicle collision in the same area after a Chevrolet Impala left the roadway and struck a tree, the Charles County Sheriff's Office reported. A passenger in that crash, 26-year-old Daunte Marqui Butler of Baltimore, was pronounced deceased at Charles Regional Medical Center, and the sheriff's office said that investigation remained ongoing as well.
Pedestrian-involved crashes carry a high rate of fatalities statewide, and Maryland drivers are involved in roughly 3,000 pedestrian crashes each year, according to Zero Deaths MD. Charles County has recorded at least one other fatal pedestrian crash this year, with Maryland State Police investigating a deadly incident reported in May.
No additional updates on the 3-year-old’s condition have been released since the child arrived at the hospital. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
