URGENT UPDATE: A tragic incident unfolded in Bladensburg, Maryland, on Saturday when a car crashed into a birthday party tent, resulting in the death of one woman and injuries to 13 others. The driver, a 66-year-old man from nearby Washington, DC, initially fled the scene but has since turned himself in to authorities, according to the Bladensburg Police Department.
The victim has been identified as Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez, 31, of Washington, DC. Witnesses reported chaos as the vehicle plowed into the gathering filled with children, causing immediate panic and emergency responses. One neighbor, Jocelyn Route, a former council member, described the horrifying scene. “I was awakened by big booms… There were ambulances all around, there was screaming,” Route recounted.
Police reported that the party was celebrating several young children’s birthdays when the incident occurred. Victims, including six adults and eight children aged 1 to 17, were rushed to nearby hospitals. As of Sunday, one child remains hospitalized but is reported to be in stable condition. Of the adult victims, three are still receiving treatment in stable condition, while one is awaiting further care, and another has been released.
Eyewitnesses indicated the driver had been behaving erratically prior to the crash. A video shared on social media shows emergency personnel working at the scene early Sunday morning, with the party tent partially collapsed and debris strewn across the yard.
Authorities are continuing their investigation as the community mourns the loss of Gutierrez. The Bladensburg Police Department has confirmed that criminal charges against the driver are forthcoming. As the investigation unfolds, local residents are left grappling with the aftermath of this devastating event.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.
