Crime & Safety

Laurel Resident Among Four Killed in Glen Burnie Crash

Three adults and one child suffered fatal injuries when their vehicles collided Sunday afternoon on Marley Neck Boulevard.

Four people—including one Laurel resident—suffered fatal injuries Sunday afternoon when their cars collided in Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County police said.

According to a statement from the AAPD, emergency personnel were called to the scene of an accident on Marley Neck Boulevard near Freeman Shores Lane around 1:36 p.m.

Responders found two mangled vehicles at the site, police said, each of which had been occupied by one driver and one passenger before the crash. All four individuals sustained incapacitating injuries and were pronounced dead on the scene.

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Police identified the victims as:

  • Crystal Jean Benton, 18, of the 3400 block of Sudlersville South in Laurel/Maryland City
  • Joseph Allen Oliver Jr., 30, of the 900 block of Blakistone Road in Glen Burnie
  • Brittney Marie Ziegler, 21, of the 8400 block of Bedford Road in Pasadena
  • Lilly Renee Gross, 3, of the 200 block of Crain Court Circle in Glen Burnie

Preliminary investigation suggests that Oliver was driving a 2009 Mazda 3 northbound on Marley Neck Boulevard when he attempted to pass traffic ahead of him by crossing over the double yellow line, police said.

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As he did so, Oliver's vehicle is believed to have struck a southbound 2003 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Ziegler and occupied by Gross.

The resulting head-on collision caused the Grand Am to flip over and travel backward roughly 75 feet before coming to rest on the east side of the road, investigators said.

The Mazda 3 continued northbound for about 100 feet, broke apart, and came to a rest in the southbound lane, according to police. Benton, the passenger, was reportedly ejected from the car during the accident.

Investigators said they believe excessive speed by Oliver's vehicle was a contributing factor but have yet to determine whether drugs or alcohol may have played a role.

An investigation by the AAPD's Traffic Safety Section is ongoing.


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