6 killed in fatal crash on Baltimore Beltway identified

BETHESDA - Six people were killed when a passenger vehicle lost control, ran into a work zone along the Baltimore beltway and struck construction workers there, Maryland State Police said Wednesday.

Troopers responded to the work zone on northbound Interstate 695 at Security Boulevard in the Woodlawn area around 12:40 p.m. for a report of a pedestrian crash, police said in a news release. 

Emergency medical service personnel pronounced six people, all of them workers, dead on the scene, and the driver of the car, an Acura, was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Shock Trauma Center, police said.

According to a preliminary investigation, the Acura was changing lanes when it hit front corner of another vehicle, a Volkswagen, and lost control. Police say, after losing control, the Acura went through construction zone's barrier opening and overturned.

The driver of the car was identified on Thursday as Lisa Adrienne Lea, 54, of Randallstown, Maryland. Police say she remains at Shock Trauma receiving treatment.

The six workers who died were 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.

The driver of the Volkswagen was identified as Melachi Brown, 20, of Windsor Mill. Police say Brown, who later stopped his car when it became disabled north of the crash scene, was uninjured in the incident.

The crash closed the beltway in both directions for hours, snarling traffic along the west side of the highway that encircles the city.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski called the incident horrific.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in today’s tragic crash," he wrote in a tweet.

The crash remains under investigation by multiple agencies including, Maryland State Police, Maryland Department of Transportation Occupational Safety Office, Maryland Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Once the findings of the investigation are submitted, the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office will determine whether any charges are warranted in the case.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call police at 410-780-2700.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.