Lisa Adrienne Lea, driver in fatal I-695 crash, turns herself in to police

The drivers involved in a crash that killed six construction workers on Interstate 695 have been indicted on manslaughter charges and traffic violations, with authorities saying one was impaired by drugs and the other reached speeds of 122 mph.

Lisa Adrienne Lea, 54, of Randallstown, faces 28 counts, including one that alleges she was driving impaired by drugs, though the indictment does not specify what substance. After police were initially unable to locate her, state police said she turned herself in on Wednesday morning.

Melachi Duane Darnell Brown, 20, of Windsor Mill, was taken into custody on Monday and faces 27 counts.

At a bail review hearing for Brown on Tuesday, Assistant State’s Attorney Felise Kelly said there is dash camera video from four minutes before the crash that shows Brown rapidly switching lanes and accelerating. Police, she said, determined that he was driving 122 mph five seconds before the crash and 111 mph at the time of impact.

The speed limit at the site of the crash is 55 mph.

Stating that there was “no denying that the offense and the devastation in this case is horrific,” District Judge Kathleen Murphy ruled that Brown can be released on home detention with the special condition that he cannot drive. The issue of punishment, she said, is a possible question for a “future day.”

On March 22 at about 12:30 p.m., Lea was driving a 2017 Acura TLX on the I-695 inner loop near Interstate 70 in Baltimore County when she changed lanes and struck a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta.

Brown was driving the 2017 Volkswagen Jetta, police reported.

Lea then spun out of control, passed through an opening in concrete barrier that separated a work zone from the highway, and fatally struck six construction workers, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Baltimore Banner obtained video of the crash, which show both cars speeding when one moved into the far-left lane, hit the other vehicle, lost control and flipped into the construction zone.

The construction workers who died in the crash were Rolando Ruiz, 46, of Laurel; Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, 43, of Frederick; Jose Armando Escobar, 52, of Frederick; Mahlon Simmons III, 30, of Union Bridge; Mahlon Simmons II, 52, of Union Bridge; and Sybil Lee Dimaggio, 46, of Glen Burnie.

Concrete General Inc., a contracting business in Gaithersburg, employed five of the construction workers. They were working on a project to reduce congestion on the Baltimore Beltway.

Between 1980 and 2020, there were only 12 other crashes in work zones that resulted in more deaths, according to a Banner analysis of Fatality Analysis Reporting System data maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Following the crash, Lea was taken to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland. Brown did not report any injuries.

A man who answered a phone number listed in public records for Lea said Tuesday, “Look man, you know she doesn’t want to talk to you. Get a better life, man.” It’s unclear if she’s retained an attorney.

Meanwhile, Brown’s bail review hearing was held Tuesday in the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County.

Brown told the judge that he understood his rights and the maximum sentences that the offenses carried in the indictment. But he said he did not understand why he was charged in the crash.

Kelly, the assistant state’s attorney, argued that Brown should be held without bail.

“The defendant’s actions in this case contributed to the deaths of six individuals,” said Kelly, who noted that Brown does not have a criminal record.

At one point, one of Brown’s loved ones stood up in the courtroom while sobbing and stated, “So how is he a risk then?” She then continued, “Man, that’s some bullshit!” and added, “He’s innocent!”

Michael Tomko, Brown’s attorney, asked the judge to order pretrial release.

“This was an absolutely horrible, horrible accident,” Tomko said.

Tomko said his client has “never seen an ounce of trouble in his life.” Brown works as a fulfillment clerk at an Amazon warehouse, he said, and enjoys “incredible family support.”

Plus, Tomko noted that his client stopped at the scene and spoke with investigators, describing the allegations in the case as a “snapshot and an aberration.”

It’s unclear when Brown is expected back in court.

justin.fenton@thebaltimorebanner.com

dylan.segelbaum@thebaltimorebanner.com

penelope.blackwell@thebaltimorebanner.com

Correction: This story has been updated to correct Mahlon Simmons III’s age.

More From The Banner

The developer of Harborplace bought 128 rowhomes in East Baltimore

One Baltimore County developer is pouring big money into local politics

Larry Lucchino, visionary behind Camden Yards construction, dies at 78

Dundalk was a steel town. When the Key Bridge fell, so did its legacy.