Speeding suspected in Howard County crash that killed 12-year-old driver
BALTIMORE -- Police in Howard County are trying to unravel the details of a deadly single-vehicle crash that happened early Sunday morning.
The driver of the vehicle, Josseline Molina-Rivas, was just 12 years old.
"She was so friendly, so funny," said Josseline's uncle, Pablo Rivas. "I can't accept that I will never see her again."
According to police, the Josseline was behind the wheel of a 2017 Toyota Corolla when it veered off Broken Land Parkway in Columbia and crashed into a tree about 2 a.m. Sunday, killing Josseline and seriously injuring Mario Arturo-Artiga, a 36-year-old passenger.
"You know every fatal collision that we have is tragic, but this is unusually tragic because it involved a 12-year-old, who was behind the wheel at the time," said Sherry Llewellyn, the Howard County Police spokesperson.
While police have not confirmed the relationship of the two, a family member told WJZ that Arturo-Artiga is Josseline's stepfather.
"We have a lot of investigation to determine all the details around this incident," said Llewellyn.
It's an investigation involving multiple agencies with crash investigators looking into the actual accident and the family crime division looking into the circumstances around the incident.
Police believe speed was a factor in the crash.
