On the evening of Saturday, October 18, 2025, in a residential neighborhood of Bladensburg, Maryland, a vehicle plowed into an outdoor children’s birthday party hosted on the front lawn of a home near Annapolis Road. The incident occurred at approximately 10:14 p.m., when a sedan veered into the tent-covered gathering, striking multiple people.
Tragically, a 31-year-old woman, Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez, of Washington, D.C., succumbed to her injuries in the aftermath of the crash. At least 13 others were injured—among them eight children whose ages ranged from infancy up to their teens—and they were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Multiple victims were released after treatment, while several remained hospitalized in stable condition.
The driver, reported to be a 66-year-old man from the Washington, D.C. area, initially fled the scene on foot but later surrendered to authorities the next morning. He has since been interviewed by investigators, and prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine appropriate criminal charges. At the time of reporting, the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation and the driver’s name has not been publicly released.
In the wake of the crash, local law enforcement from the Bladensburg Police Department, in collaboration with the Prince George’s County Police Department, closed part of Annapolis Road to conduct their investigation and appealed to the public for any additional information or witnesses. The incident has left a close-knit community shaken, as what began as a family celebration ended in tragedy and emergency response.
