PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — A Wise High School student died after a crash in Upper Marlboro, Maryland Tuesday morning. According to investigators, only one car was involved in the crash.
Officers with the Prince George's County Police Department responded to Ritchie Marlboro and Dunsmore Terrace Road around 9 a.m. for a report of the crash. Prince George's County Acting Deputy Chief Anthony Cline said an 18-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and an 18-year-old man, who was driving, was hospitalized after the incident.
Police later identified the woman killed as 18-year-old Cayliy Haygood.
Cline said the investigation into Tuesday's crash is in its preliminary stages. It is believed that the car the two students were in crashed into a landscaping trailer that was parked on the side of the road. Investigators are still working to determine exactly what happened. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Upper Marlboro resident Jennifer Rios was one of the first people to respond to the crash.
“Grabbed our first aid kits and ran to the scene to administer any help we could give to the victims," she said.
Rios said she and others in the neighborhood have repeatedly asked for speeding to be addressed along Ritchie Marlboro Road.
According to the Prince George's County Police Department, another crash actually happened on Ritchie Marlboro Road, two blocks away from the one that claimed the life of the Wise High School student, around 6:30 am. Police did not reveal the age of the victim in that incident. However, they said they have non-life threatening injuries.
"[We] preliminarily believe speeding may have been a contributing factor," a police spokesperson said.
The Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation sent out the following statement regarding traffic safety along Ritchie Marlboro Road.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the loved ones of those that lost their lives or were injured in the crash that occurred at Marlboro Pointe Drive. DPW&T has had requests in the past regarding general speeding along Ritchie Marlboro Road, which is a major collector roadway. As you know, as this roadway is classified as a collector roadway, speed humps or any physical traffic calming device installation could not be considered as a mitigation effort. However, enforcement of the speed limit has been a priority along this roadway.
DPW&T did install a traffic signal at N Riding Road not too far from the intersection at Marlboro Pointe Drive, and also modified pavement markings from N Riding Road to south of Marlboro Ridge Road to address speeding. The Prince George’s County Police Department has also installed Speed Cameras along Ritchie Marlboro Road.
We will continue to review and evaluate conditions on Ritchie Marlboro Road to see what additional safety improvements can be made, so we can work to effectively prevent people from speeding and prevent further loss of life.
Wise High School Principal Taryn Washington sent a letter to families Tuesday offering tips on talking to kids about dealing with grief.
"We will do our best to comfort our Wise community during this challenging time," the letter said. " A support team of school psychologists and professional school counselors will be here to help students and staff work through their feelings. Counseling will be available as long as necessary."
Principal Washington said in the letter that the Wise community has already been dealing with grief. The principal said another student, Michael Nwaulu, 17, was killed in a shooting last week.
"We will remember his easygoing and carefree attitude," Washington said.
In that shooting, Nwaulu and another teen were shot in the area of Rock Spring Drive and Parkstone Drive in Upper Marlboro.
Sign up for the Get Up DC newsletter: Your forecast. Your commute. Your news.
Sign up for the Capitol Breach email newsletter, delivering the latest breaking news and a roundup of the investigation into the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021.