PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY — A predawn crash Sunday on heavily traveled Route 301 left three people dead. It prompted an active investigation by Maryland State Police into a failure to yield that triggered a chain of deadly events.
Troopers responded around 12:45 a.m. July 12 to the intersection with Governors Park Lane after a passenger vehicle and motorcycle collided.
According to preliminary findings, a black Tesla Model 3 turning left from northbound Route 301 onto Governors Park Lane did not yield to a southbound Harley-Davidson, causing the motorcycle to strike the Tesla’s passenger side. A third vehicle then hit the motorcycle’s passenger before fleeing the scene. No description of the hit-and-run vehicle has been released.
The Harley-Davidson riders — 48-year-old Matthew Eric Vowell and 47-year-old Krystal Ann Vowell of Friendship — were pronounced dead at the scene. The Tesla’s rear passenger, 22-year-old Adriana Lanae Maxwell of Glen Burnie, also died on scene. The Tesla driver was taken to a local hospital with injuries.
Authorities believe the Tesla was operating as a rideshare vehicle. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration helped manage traffic during road closures that lasted more than four hours.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the investigation, which will be forwarded to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for charging decisions.
Sgt. Gore is seeking information about the fleeing vehicle and asks witnesses to call 410-819-4753.
The incident underscores the dangers at busy intersections along Route 301, a major corridor connecting Southern Maryland communities to the greater Washington region.
