3 Friends Killed In Odenton Crash, Another In Critical Condition
ODENTON, Md. (WJZ) -- A tragic story. Several people die in a crash along Piney Orchard Parkway in Odenton.
Derek Valcourt has more on what happened in the early hours of Easter morning.
This was a single vehicle accident and police say it appears the car was speeding when it crashed along Piney Orchard Parkway.
Flowers lay at the base of a damaged tree, alongside scattered debris--the remnants of the tragic accident that claimed the lives of three 22-year-olds from Odenton.
Among them, David Michael D'Augustine--serving in the Air Force--, his longtime friend Samuel Schindler--serving in the Navy--, and Katherine Warrington, known to her friends as Katie.
"It's just heartbreaking. It's sad, we all grew up playing together. I mean, they are going to be missed to say the least," said Patrick Murphy.
The crash happened just after 12:30 a.m. The mangled wreck caught the attention of passerby T.J. Williams.
"The car was still in the tree. The ambulances were still here. It was pretty sad. It was a horrific scene," he said.
Police say the driver--David D'Augustine--lost control as he tried to make a slight curve on Piney Orchard Parkway. His vehicle then left the road, slammed into a light pole, severing it in half. It struck a tree--causing some damage--and kept on going, rolling once before it slammed into a tree roof-first.
"It's tragic to deal with that on location, but our hearts go out to the families of the victims involved," said Captain Michael Pfaltzgraff, Anne Arundel County Fire Department.
Firefighters say the three victims died on the scene, only one passenger survived. Michael Lee Phillips, 23, was flown to Shock Trauma in critical condition with life threatening injuries.
His recovery is now foremost on the minds of a community deeply grieving.
"We all hope and pray for the best and that's about all we can do," said Williams.
Investigators say speed was a factor, but they will also be looking at whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
WJZ will let you know when police complete the investigation.
