Howard County police are investigating a fatal single-vehicle collision in Columbia July 24 in which a 12-year-old driver was killed and an adult male passenger was injured.
At approximately 2:08 a.m., a 2017 Toyota Corolla was traveling southbound on Broken Land Parkway just south of Cradlerock Way when it left the roadway for an unknown reason and struck a tree.
The driver, Josseline Molina-Rivas, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 36-year-old male passenger, Mario Arturo-Artiga, was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he remains in serious condition.
Police tracked down the registered owner of the Toyota and determined that both the driver and passenger lived in the same apartment on Basket Ring Road in Columbia with numerous family members and residents. The two were not related and it is unclear why they were out in the vehicle at 2 a.m., or why she was driving.
Police believe speed was a factor in the crash. They are also investigating whether either occupant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The investigation is ongoing.
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