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Maryland State Police and hospital officials say a 22-year-old Elkridge man injured in a chain-reaction crash that killed two people has been released from the hospital, but another man remains in critical condition.
State police spokesman Sgt. Arthur Betts said Monday that investigators are looking into whether 26-year old Donneil Raeburn of Pikesville was drag racing before the crash on Interstate 70.
Shock Trauma spokeswoman Cindy Rivers says Raeburn is listed in critical condition. Rivers says 22-year-old Paul Duffy of Elkridge was treated for serious injuries and released.
The crash killed 21-year-old Mary-Kathryn Abernathy of Columbia, and 20-year-old Jonathan Henderson of La Plata. Both were hit as they stood next to Henderson's car on the shoulder of I-70. Duffy
was standing by his car nearby when he was hit.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Update
Heavy skid marks are left on the road and tire tracks are on the grass on Interstate 70 westbound, west of the Park and Ride. We also spotted a beer bottle left to the side, all evidence of an illegal race gone bad.
Sean Azmat works at a gas station nearby and knows about the ongoing problem. "They do talk about who they are going to race and how much they are going to race and how much they are going to bet. The minimum bet is $500; that is what I have heard," said Azmat.
Around 3 a.m. Sunday, Maryland State Police say 21-year-old Mary-Kathryn Abernathy and her boyfriend, 20-year-old Jonathan Henderson, were standing along I-70 before a car swerved in their path, killing them.
"According to witnesses at the scene, they had gathered at that location for the purpose of watching a drag racing event," said Maryland State Police Spokesman Sgt. Arthur Betts.
Sgt. Betts says a vehicle lost control, veered onto the shoulder, and hit another car. The driver of that car, 22-year-old Paul Duffy, was knocked to the ground.
He was sent to Shock Trauma in serious condition. His mother's fiance’ says this has been a horrible father's day.
"One father is thanking God his family survived, two fathers are just devastated," said Matt Williams.
The force of the initial impact then knocked into another car, where Abernathy and Henderson stood.
"Tragically, the force of that impact killed both of those individuals," said Sgt. Betts.
Police don't know if the driver of the car that lost control was drag racing, but they believe 26-year-old Donneil Raeburn was driving under the influence. He is in critical condition.
While the investigation continues, two families are in shock.
“He was just always with a smile on his face, always ready to help, he's going to missed,” said Amy Lamke, Henderson’s friend.
The families or Henderson and Abernathy sent these statements. John Henderson’s family says: "We are in shock. We loved him so much. He had so much going for him. Mary was a great girl. He loved her very much, he wanted to get married."
Mary-Kathryn Abernathy's family says: "This senseless loss of a sparkling personality and beautiful person must be a reminder to the dangers of street racing. Although Mary-Kathryn was not street racing herself, she was tragically killed by an individual who was."
Right now, no charges have been filed.
21-year-old Mary-Kathryn Abernathy is one of the two fatal victims from the crash.She and her boyfriend, 20-year-old Jonathan Robert Henderson were standing on the side of the road, when everything went terribly wrong. "This is a classic example, two people lost their lives watching a race event, it just shows when you participate in illegal street racing whether you are the driver or a spectator, the results can be tragic," says Sgt. Arthur Betts of Maryland State Police. According to state police, it all happened around 3am Sunday morning, on westbound interstate 70, near the park and ride on the city/county line. Witnesses say that a group of people had gathered to watch drag racing. When a cop was spotted everyone went for their cars. But the driver of a Chevy Impala went out of control, and veered onto the shoulder. The car hit three people, killing Abernathy and Henderson. That driver was a Donneil Raeburn. Police still do not know what he was doing on the scene. But they believe he was under the influence of alcohol. "We don't know if that operator was traveling through the area, we don't know if he was one of the spectators, or if he was someone participating in the race event, that it part of the investigation," says Betts. Two people lost their lives and two others, including Raeburn were injured. The family of Mary-Kathryn Abernathy want people to learn from what happened to their daughter. "The family wishes to express their appreciation of everyone's prayers and support during this sudden tragedy. This senseless loss of a sparkling personality and beautiful person must be [a] reminder to the dangers of street racing. Although Mary-Kathryn was not street racing herself, she was tragically killed by an individual who was. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the family and friends of her boyfriend who was also killed," says Dave Abernathy.
Two people were killed and two others seriously injured after a suspected street racing crash on Interstate 70 in Woodlawn early Sunday morning. The crash happened at around 3 a.m. near the Park and Ride on westbound I-70 near the Baltimore County, Baltimore City line. Witnesses to the crash told police they were there to watch drag racing when someone spotted a Baltimore County Police vehicle and everyone scrambled into their cars to get away, says Sergeant Arthur Betts, spokesperson for the Maryland State Police. For unknown reasons, the driver of a 2009 Chevrolet Impala, later identified as 26-year-old Donneil Raeburn of Pikesville, lost control of the car and hit the back of a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier. T he driver of the Cavalier, 22-year-old Paul Alan Duffy of Elkridge, was standing outside of the car and was hit, says Betts.
The force of the impact sent the Cavalier into the rear of a 1995 Acura Integra owned by 20-year-old Jonathan Robert Henderson of La Plata. Henderson was standing outside of his car with 21-year-old Mary-Kathryn Michele Abernathy of Columbia when the accident occurred. Both victims were hit.
Henderson and Abernathy were both pronounced dead at the scene. Raeburn and Duffy were taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in serious condition.
Westbound I-70 was closed for about five hours while crash team investigators tried to figure out what happened.
Sergent Betts says police are aware motorists gather in that area of I-70 and troopers frequently patrol the area to deter illegal activity. Two checks were made an hour prior to the crash, says Betts. Police are still working to determine if Raeburn was racing before the crash. So far, nor charges have been filed.
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