By Mark F. Gray, AFRO Staff Writer, mgray@afro.com
Ronet Aching had dreams of becoming a teacher one day but they came to a horrific end near the end of the Fourth of July weekend in one of a series of fatal automobile accidents in Prince George’s County. The 22-year-old resident of Upper Marlboro lost her life when she was struck by a truck traveling in the wrong direction on July 7 in Lanham, MD.
Aching died at the scene of the crash on the Inner Loop of the Beltway near the exit for Annapolis Road in Lanham, according to police reports. Maryland State Police say that she was the victim of a wrong way driver who may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
Just before 6:00 a.m., Maryland State Police Troopers from the College Park Barrack responded to the report of a motor vehicle crash on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway. When the troopers arrived they found a two-vehicle crash with multiple injuries.
The preliminary investigation indicates Aching’s Nissan Xterra was traveling south on the inner loop of Interstate 495, just north of Route 450 in Lanham. It was struck head-on by a Ford F-150 pickup truck that was heading northbound in the southbound lanes, according to police reports.
Miguel Angel Solis Gomez, 26, was allegedly driving the Ford F150 illegally in the southbound lanes of the Beltway and slammed it into the Nissan Xterra that was being driven by Aching. According to published reports, he was airlifted to the University Of Maryland’s shock trauma center with what were called life threatening injuries.
Authorities said alcohol was a factor in the crash and Gomez is expected to face charges. The charges he faces are pending review of the investigation by the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney. State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy previously said that her office would vigorously prosecute vehicle accidents, especially where alcohol was involved, as the County tries to reduce the number of fatal incidents that have become a plague.
Maryland State Police CRASH Team personnel reconstructed the collision. All lanes of the inner loop were closed while evidence was being collected for approximately four hours causing a massive traffic jam as those who were trying to get a head start on returning from their holiday weekend. The southbound portion of the inner loop of the beltway was closed until 10 a.m.
Aching was the oldest of three children and reportedly worked at the Silver Diner in Greenbelt. She was also a student at Prince George’s Community College.