GLEN BURNIE — Thirty-seven people died in crashes on Maryland roads in October, including 11 motorcyclists, pushing the state’s count of motorcyclist deaths this year to 73, nearly half again as many as the 49 recorded in all of 2025.
The October total was four fewer than in October 2025, according to preliminary figures released Nov. 2 by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Through 10 months, 371 people have died on Maryland roads, 38 fewer than the 409 killed from January through October last year.
That overall decline masks a split. Deaths among people in cars are well below last year’s pace, while riders on two wheels are dying at higher rates than in all of 2025.
Who died in October
Drivers made up 17 of the 37 October deaths. Eight pedestrians and 11 motorcyclists also died, along with one passenger. No bicyclists were killed in October.
Among those killed was Brian Miller, deputy executive director of the Maryland Port Administration, and his wife. The department called their deaths a devastating loss that hit close to home for the agency. The release did not give the date or location of the crash.
The year so far
| Road user | October 2026 | 2026 through October | All of 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drivers | 17 | 164 | 233 |
| Passengers | 1 | 47 | 83 |
| Pedestrians | 8 | 73 | 111 |
| Bicyclists | 0 | 14 | 10 |
| Motorcyclists | 11 | 73 | 49 |
Bicyclist deaths, at 14, have also passed 2025’s full-year count of 10. Pedestrian deaths, at 73, are on track to finish below last year’s 111.
Month by month, 2026 has run below 2025 in seven of 10 months. The exceptions were March (41 deaths, up 11), June (41, up one) and August (45, up five). The state’s monthly totals are preliminary and shift as crashes are confirmed: the September count now stands at 40, one more than the 39 the state reported a month ago, and the year’s motorcyclist total is two higher than September’s reported 60 plus October’s 11.
The Chronicle reported in October that motorcyclist deaths had already reached 60 by the end of September, and in September that riders were bucking an otherwise improving trend.
October’s toll in Southern Maryland
The state release gives no county breakdown, but several of October’s deaths came on Southern Maryland roads, according to Chronicle coverage of local police reports:
- Oct. 13, Lusby: John Lawrence Connor, 33, died after his car left Rousby Hall Road and struck a tree, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office said.
- Oct. 27, Lothian: Joseph Chester Clovis, 61, of Shady Side died when a pickup crossed the center line on West Bay Front Road in southern Anne Arundel County, police said.
- Oct. 29, near Waldorf: Michael Alexander Jr., 36, of Bryans Road died when his motorcycle hit a turning car on MD 228 at Greenwood Drive, the third deadly motorcycle crash on MD 228 in Charles County this year.
The list is not complete; the state does not publish October deaths by county in its monthly release. Residents can look up crashes by county, severity and driver behavior on the state’s new daily crash dashboard.
November started with another motorcycle death in Calvert: a 30-year-old Millersville man was killed Nov. 1 when his motorcycle and an SUV collided at Route 4 and St. Leonard Road.
Darker evenings, deer season
With daylight saving time over and sunset coming earlier, the department urged drivers to watch for deer at dawn and dusk and to brake firmly and stay in their lane rather than swerve if one crosses their path. It also reminded drivers to look twice for motorcyclists before turning or changing lanes, to stop for school buses with flashing red lights unless a physical median separates the road, and to slow down or move over for vehicles with flashing lights.
Families who have lost someone in a crash are invited to the Maryland Highway Safety Office’s 23rd annual Maryland Remembers ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Sheraton Baltimore North in Towson. Attendees are encouraged to bring a framed photo of their loved one and must register at ZeroDeathsMD.gov/MDRemembers.
