By Mark F. Gray, Special to the AFRO, mgray@afro.com
The perils on the roads of Prince George’s County continued to rear themselves last weekend. Two more accidents claimed the lives of a wrong way driver and a 14-year-old jogger in Bowie and near Springdale respectively.
Kamal Nashid,14 was struck by an oncoming vehicle and killed on Saturday, June 15 while he was jogging in the affluent Maryland suburb. During the early phase of the investigation, Prince George’s County Police report that it appears Nashid ran into the crosswalk in front of southbound traffic on Church Road before it had come to a stop when he was struck by the car that ended his life around.
Two fatal traffic fatalities occurred this past weekend in Prince George’s County, including Kamal Nashid, 14. A Go Fund Me was created for the Nashid family to pay for unexpected fees after the tragic loss of Kamal. (Courtesy Photo)
The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit, who is handling this investigation, reportedly believe the teenager crossed one lane of traffic in front of an unidentified red pickup and was then struck by a car in the second lane. The driver of the car that struck Nashid remained on the scene but the driver of the red pickup left the location.
Authorities are still hoping for the driver of the truck to come forward with any information that would add more clarity to the investigation.
Meanwhile, those who knew Nashid were devastated by the news of his passing. He was preparing to enter the ninth grade at Georgetown Day School and reportedly
“Georgetown Day School is deeply saddened by the heartbreaking news that rising 9th grader Kamal Nashid was struck by a car and killed on Saturday, June 15,” Alison Grasheim, director of communications at Georgetown Day School, told WTOP-FM in an email.
“Kamal was a wonderful young man and a cherished member of the GDS community. Our time and focus at this time are on supporting the Nashid family, as well as making resources and support available to other members of the Georgetown Day School community, including grief counseling and community outreach,” she added.
A Go Fund Me, was created to help the family with unexpected expenses after the tragic death of the 14-year-old.
Earlier that morning, an unidentified man was the victim in a traffic accident, which claimed his life following a crash involving an alleged wrong way driver on Route 50 near Springdale, Maryland. Maryland State Police are still investigating the incident, which reportedly occurred around 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning, closing the roadway for several hours.
The Maryland State Police CRASH Team along with state troopers from the College Park Barracks are reportedly investigating the incident. A victim has not been publicly identified pending the notification of his family. EMS crews pronounced the victim dead at the scene while authorities continue waiting for results from the autopsy.
Joshua Edwards, 22, of Greensboro, MD. Edwards was the driver and only person in a silver 2013 Hyundai Sonata that was involved in this incident. He was reportedly airlifted from the scene by medevac to the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for treatment.
According to the preliminary investigation, the deceased motorist was traveling in the wrong direction in the westbound lanes of Route 50 when the crash occurred. Edwards told police he was hit by the car traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes.
The westbound lanes of Route 50, east of Route 704 in Mitchellville, were closed for about five hours while State Highway Administration authorities helped divert traffic around the crash scene during the aftermath.
Police investigators also believe a separate crash occurred prior to the fatal crash on westbound Route 50 at Route 201/202. A tractor-trailer driver reportedly told police his vehicle sustained minor damage due to the crash but he apparently did not sustain any injuries.