Our Collision Analysis Reconstruction Unit (CARU) is
investigating a rear-end collision involving multiple vehicles which resulted
in the fatalities of three young siblings Sunday evening.
At 9:40 pm,
the preliminary investigation reveals, an adult male driving alone in a pick-up
truck rear-ended a vehicle carrying two adults and three children on Indian
Head Highway near Wilson Bridge Drive. That impact caused the
victims’ vehicle to strike the car in front of it which struck another vehicle
in front of it, as well.
While it is early in our investigation, we know the
crash occurred just before an intersection where the family was either slowed
or stopped behind two other vehicles for the traffic light. The driver of
the pick-up is suspected of driving under the influence and, it appears, was
moving at a much higher rate of speed than the victims’ cars.
Preliminarily, there is no evidence of skid marks on the scene prior to
the point of impact with the car carrying the family. The pick-up truck
came to rest on top of the rear-passenger compartment of that sedan.
5-year-old Alexander Mejia, 5-year- old Rosalie Mejia,
and 1-year- old Isaac Mejia, all of Falls Church, Virginia, were killed upon
impact. The two adult victims, the children’s parents, were transported
to the hospital in critical but stable condition. The driver of the truck was
taken into custody at the scene for sobriety testing.
Chief Hank Stawinski said, “I am heartbroken over the
loss of these three young innocent lives. The actions of a suspected
drunk driver has ended in a lifetime of pain for this family. We
work tirelessly to clear our roads of drivers who make the horrible decision to
pick up their keys and drive while impaired. We have been conducting
targeted DUI and speed enforcement across the county and stepped up our efforts
in specific areas to include the 210 corridor as we neared the New Year’s Eve
holiday. At the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) awards program
two weeks ago, I commended all of our local law enforcement for arresting more
than 13,000 drunk drivers on our region’s roads annually. We are
not only aware of this issue, we are actively engaged in this fight to take
drunk drivers off the road and to hold them responsible. So it is
difficult to describe how deeply frustrated I am, because, despite all of this
work, a family is suffering beyond imagination. All of this because of
one individual’s decision that placed the lives of all those around him in
jeopardy when he got behind that wheel. It was a decision that ended in
tragedy and it was a tragedy that didn’t need to be.”
As for the two other cars that were in
front of the family’s car and were also hit, one of those drivers was
transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
The driver of the pick-up truck has been
released. Final charges in this case are pending the outcomes of the
investigation, toxicology testing, and reconstruction analysis and will be
determined in consultation with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s
Office.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or who
may have additional information is asked to call our CARU investigators
at 301-731-4422. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime
Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS, text “PGPD plus your message” to CRIMES
(274637) on your cell phone or go to www.pgcrimesolvers.com.
