3 people killed in Rock Creek Parkway crash identified
Police have identified three people killed in a crash along D.C.’s Rock Creek Parkway on Wednesday morning.
Mohamed Kamara, 42, of Burtonsville, Maryland; and Arlington, Virginia, residents Jonathan Cabrera Mendez, 23, and Olvin Torres Velasquez, 22, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash at about 1:43 a.m. on Wednesday.
Kamara’s family reached out to WTOP’s news partner NBC Washington and shared a photo of the victim. They said he was a Lyft driver and was driving the two young men in the car home to Arlington. A Lyft spokesperson also spoke to NBC4.
“This is an unspeakable tragedy and our hearts are with the victims’ loved ones,” they said. “We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation and are working to get in touch with the victims’ families to offer our support.”
This is Mohamed Kamara. He was killed early yesterday morning on Rock Creek Parkway. His family says he was a driver for Lyft and was taking two young men he had picked up back to their home in Arlington. More to come at 5 on @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/FjhshnVqdO
— Paul Wagner (@paulcwagner) March 16, 2023
According to U.S. Park Police spokesman Thomas Twiname, a Lexus SUV was fleeing a traffic stop when it crashed into the Honda Accord the three men were in.
The Lexus was occupied by an adult woman who suffered life-threatening injuries, and an adult man with injuries that were believed to be life-threatening. Both were transported to a hospital.
According to the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles, the Lexus that crashed while fleeing the traffic stop had 44 unpaid speed camera tickets, totaling $12,300. Of the unpaid tickets, 28 are listed for speeding and one is for running a red light.
This year alone, the driver racked up nine speeding tickets, with the most recent being from two weeks ago.
The crash remains under investigation. The U.S. Park Police ask that anyone with information regarding this crash contact their tip line at 202-379-4877 or email uspp_tipline@nps.gov.