A Hughesville woman was killed in a serious three-vehicle collision on Maryland Route 231 near Maryland Route 381 on Saturday morning, according to Maryland State Police (MSP). Troopers from the MSP La Plata Barrack, joined by the MSP CRASH Team, responded to the scene shortly before 10 a.m. to investigate the incident, which involved a Ford Mustang, a Kenworth trash truck, and a Honda Civic.
The crash occurred as Osiel Gomez-Garcia, 23, of Salisbury, Maryland, was driving a Ford Mustang with passenger Manuel De Leon Mateo, 23, and attempted to turn onto eastbound Maryland Route 231 from a private driveway. According to a preliminary MSP report, Gomez-Garcia’s vehicle entered the westbound lane during the turn, where it encountered a Kenworth trash truck operated by James Thompson, 50, of Waldorf, Maryland, traveling westbound.
In an attempt to avoid the Mustang, Thompson reportedly maneuvered the Kenworth away from the oncoming vehicle. Despite his efforts, the Mustang collided with the truck, causing it to spin and ultimately overturn onto a Honda Civic driven by Hope Duker, 23, of Hughesville, Maryland, who was traveling eastbound on Route 231. Duker was pronounced dead at the scene due to the impact.
Gomez-Garcia, Mateo, and Thompson were all transported to local hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, MSP officials confirmed. Driver error was cited as a contributing factor in the collision, although further investigation by the MSP CRASH Team remains ongoing.
Authorities are urging any witnesses to come forward to aid in the investigation. Those with information about the accident are asked to contact Sergeant J. Zimmerman of the MSP CRASH Team at (301) 392-1231 or via email at justin.zimmerman@maryland.gov. The investigation is currently ongoing under case number 24-MSP-036323.
