COLUMBIA, Howard County — CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that the victim was a woman. The victim was a man. The story has been edited to reflect the correct gender.
A 25-year-old man was killed early Sunday morning when the car he was in veered off the road and hit a tree, according to the Howard County Police Dept. The driver is in critical condition, police said.
Officers said the collision happened in Columbia at around 2:23 a.m. A 2021 Honda Accord was headed east on Vollmerhausen Road approaching Vollmerhausen Drive when it left the road and hit a tree, police said.
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The passenger, Mawuena Lassey of Columbia, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision, officers said. The driver was taken to the hospital and is listed in critical condition, according to police.
Police are investigating the cause of the collision.
Car accidents are a huge problem in Maryland. 573 people died in a motor vehicle accident in Maryland in 2020, up 6% from the previous year.