Impaired Driver Fatally Strikes Construction Flagger In Davidsonville: Police

DAVIDSONVILLE, MD — A construction flagger died after an impaired driver hit her Tuesday in Davidsonville, county police announced.

Officers identified the victim as 56-year-old Lizeth Guzman of Baltimore. Authorities said they arrested the suspect, 48-year-old Christopher Jonathan Asher of Davidsonville, and charged him with 12 crimes related to the fatal pedestrian crash.

The collision happened around 10:09 p.m. when Asher was driving a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee south on Davidsonville Road approaching Palomino Court, police said.

Davidsonville Road is currently being repaved, so construction crews were there to limit traffic to a single lane. Authorities said the Jeep driver hit an occupied 2022 Honda Accord that was stopped at a flagger's stop sign. Neither driver was hurt.

The Jeep driver fled the scene and continued south on Davidsonville Road, officers said.

Authorities said the Jeep driver tried to make a right on Kings Retreat Drive, where other flaggers were working on traffic control.

Witnesses on the construction crew told police that the Jeep driver then hit a flagger standing in the intersection, the press release said. The pedestrian flagger was wearing a reflective vest and reflective pants.

Officers said the Jeep driver continued forward, left the roadway, hit the community sign and came to a stop.

Medics flew the flagger, who suffered life-threatening injuries, to MedStar Washington Hospital Center in the District of Columbia. Doctors pronounced her dead soon after, authorities said.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department conducted field sobriety tests on the Jeep driver and took him into custody for further testing. Officers said they determined that he was under the influence of alcohol.

Authorities said they consulted with the office of Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess and charged Asher with:

• 2-209 - Negligent Manslaughter
• 2-210 - Criminally Neg Manslaughter
• 2-503 - Homicide by MV While Under the Influence of Alcohol
• 2-504 - Homicide by MV While Impaired by Alcohol
• 21-902a - DUI
• 21-902a2 - DUI, per se
• 21-902b - DWI
• 20-103a - Driver to remain at scene - stopping vehicle at scene of an accident
• 20-103b - Driver to remain at scene - return and remain at scene of an accident
• 21-901.3b - Death of a vulnerable individual
• 21-901.1a - Reckless driving
• 21-901.1b - Negligent driving

The case number is 2022-717120. Cpl. J. Walker is the investigator.

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