Man charged with drunken driving in wrong-way Washington beltway crash that killed 1, hurt 9

An SUV going the wrong way on the Capital Beltway in Maryland hit two other vehicles, killing one person and injuring nine others, police said. The wrong-way driver initially fled the scene but was soon caught and was charged with drunken driving.

Callers to Maryland State Police late Tuesday reported a vehicle traveling south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 270 in the Bethesda area, according to a news release.

The Mercedes SUV continued the wrong way onto I-495, Washington’s beltway, where it crashed into a Lexus and a Nissan Pathfinder, police said.

Five adults in the Lexus were injured and taken to hospitals. Two adults and three children in the Nissan were injured, and the driver was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.

The driver of the Mercedes, Jayleen Hannor, 23, of Macon, Georgia, fled but was caught a short time later, police said. They did not say whether he was also injured.

Hannor has been charged with drunken driving and leaving the scene, police said. Court records didn’t indicate whether Hannor has an attorney to comment on his behalf.

Additional charges are pending.