Details Emerge in Hanover Crash that Killed Toddler

The driver of a car in a crash that killed a 3-year-old boy in Hanover Wednesday night was not authorized to be on the road, according to reports. 

Buck John Benny of Halethorpe, who was behind the wheel when the 1995 Plymouth Acclaim hit a tree, had his learner’s permit and not a license, according to a report from WBAL-TV.

Maryland state law prohibits drivers with their learner’s permits from transporting passengers under the age of 18 unless they are family members.

Joseph Eugene Sutherlin, 3, who had been sitting on a passenger’s lap in the middle backseat, was ejected and killed in the crash on Ridge Road, said Anne Arundel County police.

Four teenagers who were also in the car remain at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, according to the Baltimore Sun, which reported that one victim left against medical advice with his leg bandaged and his arm in a sling.

Prosecutors are reviewing the case and may press charges, said the Sun.

Every three days, someone in Maryland is killed in a crash that involves a young driver, according to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). The MVA reports that fatal crash risk hits a lifetime high in the first six months of independent driving and that teenage drivers who have at least three passengers in the car quadruple their risk of a fatal crash.

The MVA offers these tips for parents with teen drivers:

• Wait until your child has been driving with a license for at least 6 months before inviting peers along for the ride
• Limit nighttime driving
• Permit your child to have only one passenger at a time between 6 months to one year after obtaining license