LA PLATA — Maryland State Police and Charles County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a serious motor vehicle collision involving two minibikes on Maryland Route 224 in the area of Wilson Landing Road on June 15, 2026.
A preliminary investigation indicates a 2021 minibike operated by a 16-year-old male from Nanjemoy was traveling southbound when it collided head-on with a 2018 minibike operated by James Thomas Claggett, 19, also of Nanjemoy.
Trooper First Class A. Sabock, an Advanced Collision Investigator with the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack, responded to lead the investigation.
The 16-year-old operator was flown by Maryland State Police Aviation Command helicopter Trooper 7 to Capital Region Hospital in serious condition. Claggett was flown by helicopter Trooper 2 to MedStar Washington Hospital Center and was later pronounced deceased.
Neither operator was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. The minibikes were unregistered and lacked headlamps for proper roadway illumination and vehicle identification.
Maryland law requires helmets for operators of certain motorized vehicles on public roads and mandates registration and proper lighting for legal operation. Unregistered vehicles without required equipment can create safety risks for operators and other motorists.
The Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack is asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact TFC Ashley Sabock at (301) 392-1200. The investigation remains ongoing and will be presented to the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office for review of possible charges.
Collisions involving unregistered or improperly equipped vehicles on rural roads like Maryland Route 224 can have serious consequences. Local residents are reminded to follow all vehicle registration, lighting and safety equipment requirements when operating any motorized vehicle on public roadways.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack.
