State Police Release Identities Of Victims Involved In I-695 Fatal Crash

(WOODLAWN, MD) – Maryland State Police identify the six highway workers involved in the fatal pedestrian crash on Interstate 695 yesterday.

Emergency medical personnel from the Baltimore County Fire Department pronounced six contractual highway workers deceased on the scene. The victims are identified as:

Rolando Ruiz, 46, of Laurel

Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, 43, of Frederick

Jose Armando Escobar, 52, of Frederick

Mahlon Simmons III, 31, of Union Bridge

Mahlon Simmons II, 52, of Union Bridge

Sybil Lee Dimaggio, 46, of Glen Burnie

Lisa Adrienne Lea, 54, of Randallstown remains at Shock Trauma where she is currently receiving medical treatment. Lea was the driver and sole occupant of a 2017 Acura TLX involved in the crash.

Melachi Brown, 20, of Windsor Mill was uninjured in the crash. He was the driver of a 2017 Volkswagen, the second vehicle involved in the crash. Brown stopped his vehicle north of the scene on I-695 where his vehicle became disabled.

The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the Acura, later identified as Lea, was traveling in lane 2 at about 12:40 p.m. yesterday when she attempted to change lanes.  As Lea attempted to move into lane 1, police believe her vehicle struck the front corner panel on the passenger side of the Volkswagen. Crash Team investigators believe this caused the Acura to lose control and subsequently travel through the barrier opening into the work zone and overturned. The construction workers were working in an active work zone on the left shoulder of the inner loop of I-695 in Baltimore County when the incident occurred.

Maryland State Police from the Golden Ring Barrack and the Traffic Incident Management Section responded to the scene. Officers from the Baltimore County Police Department also responded to assist. Investigators from the Maryland Department of Transportation Occupational Safety Office, Maryland Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are working in coordination with the Maryland State Police Crash Team.

Once the investigation is complete, the Crash Team will submit its findings to the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for review to determine whether charges will be filed.

Anyone with information relevant to the crash is asked to call the Maryland State Police Golden Ring Barrack at 410-780-2700. The crash remains under investigation.

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CONTACT: Office of Media Communication, msp.media@maryland.gov