QUEENSTOWN, Md. (WUSA9) -- Two adults, a pregnant woman and two children, all members of a Virginia family were killed Saturday morning in an accident involving a tractor trailer in Queen Anne's County, police said.
The accident happened around 1:15 a.m. on Route 50, according to authorities. The crash happened at the intersection of Route 50 and Route 213 in Wye Mills, police said. Police found the car and the overturned tractor trailer on the south side of eastbound Route 50 on both the road and on the campus of the community college.
The family was traveling in a 2006 Suzuki Forenza, police said. Four of the five family members were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The pregnant woman, was taken to the hospital, where both she and her unborn child were pronounced dead, Maryland State Police said. Police now believe that Zarissa Ayres, 30, was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.
The victims have been identified as:
Regina M. Ayres, 24, of Greenbush, Va;
Zarissa Ayres, 30, and her unborn child, of Greenbush, Va., (Regina's sister)
Jordan Ayres, 7, of Greenbush, Va., (Regina's daughter)
Travis M. Straton, 25, of Onancock, Va., (Regina's boyfriend)
Jonathan Ayres, two months, of Greenbush, Va. (son of Regina and Travis Stratton)
It is not clear at this time who was driving the car when the accident happened.
Police have identified the tractor trailer driver as Yvenet Mayette, 28, of Wilmington, Delaware. Mayette was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, police said. Mayette was released Saturday. Investigators plan on speaking with Mayette some time this week.
Anyone who witnessed this crash is urged to immediately contact Maryland State Police at the Centreville Barrack, at 410-758-1101. Any information, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, could be of vital importance to this investigation.
The investigation shows that the family's car was going westbound on Route 50 driving up to the intersection with Route 213 and the tractor trailer was going southbound on Route 213 at Route 50.
The crash happened at the intersection as the truck impacted the car on the passenger side. Both of the involved vehicles went across the intersection. The tractor trailer rolled over the car before it stopped, police said.
Authorities learned that the family left Greenbush, Va. Friday night and was headed to visit family in Baltimore. The tractor trailer driver was headed to his home in Delaware, police said. The tractor trailer was carrying 44,000 pounds of poly fiber that was picked up in Charlotte, NC, Friday afternoon. The truck is owned by Nationwide Solutions, LLC, of South Holland, Illinois.
Fire and EMS crews from Queen Anne's County, Centreville, Queenstown, Grasonville, Hillsboro, and Talbot County responded to the scene of the accident. State Highway Administration members and deputies from the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office also helped with the accident.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash. At this time, alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the accident. The intersection where the crash happened is controlled by a traffic signal, according to authorities. Both east and westbound Rt. 50 was closed earlier for the investigation. Both directions were reopened around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
At this time no charges have been filed in the accident.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the Centreville Barrack, at 410-758-1101, ext. 7. The investigation is continuing.
