A 31-year-old died and 13 others were injured after a driver slammed into a crowd outside of a child’s birthday party, police said.
Just after 10 p.m. Saturday, “several” people were standing outside of a home in Bladensburg, Maryland, where a child’s birthday party was underway, when a car struck the group, authorities said in a statement Saturday.
The driver fled the scene on foot following the collision, Bladensburg Police said. The suspect, only identified as a 66-year-old man from Washington, DC, has since turned himself in, police said in an update Sunday.
“The driver of the striking vehicle has turned himself in and has been interviewed by a crash investigator. Consultation with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney is underway and criminal charges are pending against the driver,” police said.
Six adults were injured in the crash, including 31-year-old Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez, who succumbed to her injuries, police said.
Three adult victims were admitted to the hospital and are now in stable condition, while one is pending treatment and another has been released.
Eight children, ranging in age from one to 17 years old, were also injured in the collision. Six of the children have been treated and released; one other has been admitted and is in stable condition, authorities said.
On Saturday, authorities said they were investigating the incident as a hit-and-run and were probing the cause of the collision.
Footage of the incident, posted on social media, captured a tan sedan that rammed into a white tent set up on a lawn in front of a house, with debris scattered across the grass below the car.
Police had originally reported Saturday that 11 people were injured, including children ranging in age from two to nine years old.
Authorities said they plan to hold a press conference on Monday.
