COLUMBIA, Md. — A 12-year-old girl was killed after driving into a tree early Sunday morning in Columbia, Maryland, while her stepfather was in the passenger seat, family members tell WUSA9.
Josseline Molina-Rivas,12, was killed in the crash, police reported.
The family said the stepfather, 36-year-old Mario Arturo-Artiga, is in a coma and unable to speak.
They are mystified as to why a 7th grader was believed to be behind the wheel at 2 a.m.
The crash happened just south of the intersection of Broken Land Parkway and Cradlerock Drive South at 2:08 am, according to police. Authorities believe speed was a likely factor in the crash
“Police say she was driving – and we can’t accept that," said Josseline's uncle Pablo Aaron Rivas.
“She was with her stepfather and I don’t know what happened," Rivas said. "We didn't know why she was driving."
Rivas claims Josseline’s mom woke up in the middle of the night to find Arturo-Artiga, her daughter and the car keys gone. Police called with the tragic news a short time later.
Josselin, described on the family’s GoFundMe page as ”promising and bright,” was about to enter the 7th grade at nearby Oakland Mills Middle School and was learning guitar her uncle said.
“She was friendly, funny, very funny, and very smart. I can't accept I'll never see her again," said Rivas
Howard County police are investigating whether or not alcohol or drugs may have been involved, and the circumstances of why Josseline left in the middle of the night with her Arturo-Artiga, according to police spokesperson Sherry Llwellyn.
"This is particularly unusual because of the girls age and also because it was a two o'clock in the morning. So we have a lot of investigation to do to determine all the details around this incident," Llwellyn said.
