MARYLAND, USA — A tragic car crash in Sandy Spring, Maryland, has left a Brookeville teen dead and two others critically injured. The Montgomery County Department of Police has identified the victim as 17-year-old Sherwood High School senior Sanaa Virtue Vil, who was driving at the time of the crash.
The single-vehicle collision occurred just before 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Vil was driving a red 2005 Toyota Corolla northbound on Norwood Road near Ashton Forest Way when she tried to turn and crashed into a wooden telephone pole.
Montgomery County Police and Fire Rescue responded to the scene, where Vil and her two passengers, also 17 year olds, a boy and a girl, had to be extricated from the car. Vil was pronounced dead, while the two passengers were rushed to an area hospital in critical condition.
The Montgomery County Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. Detectives are urging anyone with information or who may have witnessed the accident to contact them at (240) 773-6620.
In a heartfelt post on X, the Sherwood High School girls’ basketball team confirmed Vil's identity, describing her as "an instant flood of light in the darkest of rooms, extremely charismatic, a natural-born leader, and one of the kindest people on the planet." The team also shared that the other girl involved in the crash is a teammate, urging the community to keep her in their prayers as she remains hospitalized.
The intersection of Norwood Road and Nesbitt Farm Lane was closed following the crash, and drivers were advised to use caution in the area. No details have been released about what may have caused Vil to lose control of the vehicle, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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