A grand jury has charged Jamall Steele, a 34-year-old resident of Randallstown, with 17 counts that include automobile manslaughter and other offenses related to a fatal crash. The crash took the life of Kayla Rodriquez-Garcia, a local resident, and caused serious injuries to her passenger, Bryanie Flories, who is 22 years old and from Owings Mills.
In April of this year, the Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Attorney General’s office reported that Rodriguez-Garcia had tragically lost his life in a car accident that occurred late on a Saturday evening in Eldersburg. The crash also resulted in serious injuries to three other individuals.
According to investigators, a speeding car was observed by Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy First Class Kyle Hesler while on patrol in the vicinity of Liberty Road and Ridge Road at around 11:30 p.m. on the night of the accident.
In an effort to pull over the driver, Hesler turned on his emergency lights and sirens. Despite the attempt, the driver refused to stop and continued on. The deputy then made the decision to slow down and terminate the pursuit. However, it wasn’t long before Hesler received a call informing him that the driver had crossed over the double yellow line and collided with an SUV carrying two people on the eastbound lanes of Liberty Road.
The SUV driver, Rodriguez-Garcia, sadly passed away at the scene. The passengers, Flories, Brown, and his companion, were assessed for injuries and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Fortunately, their injuries were deemed non-life-threatening.
According to prosecutors, further inquiries revealed that Steele’s car was reported stolen, he had a blood alcohol level of .12 percent, he was speeding at 128 mph in a 50 mph zone, and he was operating the vehicle with a revoked and suspended license.
There are 17 charges against Steele which include automobile manslaughter, DUI homicide, and motor vehicle theft.
Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker conveyed his condolences to the friends and families of Ms. Rodriquez-Garcia and wished Ms. Flores a speedy recovery. He stated that criminal acts like this on the roads of Carroll County should not be tolerated and must be punished.
During his court appearance on Monday, Steele was ordered to be held behind bars without bond by a judge.
