A mother and daughter from Northern Virginia have died following a devastating wrong-way crash on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Maryland State Police identified the victims as 46-year-old Musammat Shamima Begum of Burke, Virginia, and her 23-year-old daughter, Areebah Jahin of Alexandria, Virginia. The two women were passengers in a Toyota Camry when the crash occurred Saturday evening.
The collision happened at approximately 6:46 p.m. on the southbound lanes of I-270, just south of Democracy Boulevard in the Bethesda area.
According to the preliminary investigation, a Ford Mustang was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes when it collided head-on with the Toyota.
The Mustang was driven by 32-year-old Jose Caballero Nolasco of Germantown, Maryland. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was also taken to a local hospital following the crash.
Begum and Jahin died as a result of the collision.
A 62-year-old man who was driving the Toyota and an 8-year-old girl who was also inside the vehicle survived the crash and were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
Investigators believe impairment may have contributed to the crash. Nolasco has since been charged with two counts of gross negligent manslaughter, two counts of homicide by motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and one count of life-threatening injury by motor vehicle.
After receiving medical treatment, Nolasco was released from the hospital and transported to the Montgomery County Detention Center. He was awaiting an appearance before a court commissioner.
The crash forced authorities to close the affected lanes for approximately five hours while investigators examined the scene and gathered evidence.
The Maryland State Police Crash Team continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The deaths of Begum and Jahin have left their family and community mourning the sudden loss of two loved ones. The tragedy has also drawn attention to the dangers of wrong-way driving and impaired driving on Maryland highways.
Authorities have urged motorists to avoid driving while impaired and to make responsible decisions behind the wheel.
The investigation remains ongoing. The allegations against Nolasco will proceed through the Maryland court system.
