Girl, Older Couple Identified As Victims in 'Horrific' Crash

Authorities have released the names of some of the five people killed after a pickup truck fleeing a hit-and-run slammed into a church van carrying 16 people, the department announced Tuesday.

The driver of the truck and three occupants of the van were pronounced dead on the scene, Prince George County Police said. A pregnant woman in the van suffered serious injuries and had to have emergency surgery, police said. Her baby was lost.

Three victims who died in the van were identified Tuesday afternoon as: Staily Gomez, 6, of Piney Branch Road in Northwest Washington, along with Santiago Merche, 75, and his wife, Elba Merche, 72, of Ingram Street in Northwest Washington.

The couple is survived by eight children and 35 grandchildren, NBC Washington reports.

Investigators are working to confirm the name of the pickup truck driver who died in the Chillum crash, described by rescuers as “horrific.”

Police said the pickup truck was fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run when he lost control of the truck, crossing double yellow lines. He crashed into the van in the 2100 block of Chillum Road, police said.

The truck burst into flames when it hit, police said.

The surviving 13 occupants of the van were taken to various hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to serious, police said. The victims haven’t yet been identified, pending family notification, and ranged in age from six months old to the 70s, police said.

Police are investigating whether the passengers in the van were wearing seat belts and if the children were in the proper safety seats.

Anyone with information about this collision is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at(301) 731-4422. Callers wishing to remain anonymous call Crime Solvers at1-866-411-TIPS, text “PGPD plus your message” to CRIMES (274637) or go to www.pgcrimesolvers.com.

»Photo of fatal crash scene used with permission of Twitter user Steve Ramzi‏@KRUZ8ER