PRINCE GEORGES'S COUNTY, Md. — On October 18th of last year, 66-year-old Sunday Okedeyi Joseph reversed his vehicle into the front yard of a Bladensburg home where a child's birthday party was happening.
The collision that followed resulted in the death of 31-year-old Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez and injured 13 additional individuals, including 8 children and 6 adults.
Joseph fled the scene but was arrested the next day according to police.
The 66-year-old man was indicted on 36 charges, including 1 count of grossly negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, 3 counts of hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury, 11 counts of failure to return and remain at the scene of an accident involving bodily injury, and 11 counts of reckless driving.
A grossly negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years incarcerated; hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury carries a maximum of 5 years of incarceration and a $5,000 fine; failure to return and remain at the scene of accident involving bodily injury carries a maximum penalty of 1 year of incarceration; and a reckless driving charge carries a maximum of 60 days of incarceration.
