Light Rail Operator Charged After Crash Kills Football Star In Anne Arudel County: Report

LINTHICUM, MD — A light rail operator was charged after a Linthicum train crash killed a high school football star, a report said.

WJZ reported Thursday that Tavon Smith was charged with negligent manslaughter, criminal negligence and reckless endangerment in the death of Lamar Patterson.

Patterson was originally from Kissimmee, Florida. The 17-year-old was playing wide receiver at Baltimore's Saint Frances Academy.

Patterson was a three-star recruit. 247Sports reported that the junior had offers from at least 19 Division I colleges, including Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee.

The crash happened on Feb. 2, 2022 around 9:10 a.m., authorities said. The victim was driving a 2003 Honda Accord east on Maple Road approaching Camp Meade Road. Maryland Transit Administration Light RailLink Train 5028 was heading north on track 2 as it neared Maple Road.

Witnesses told police that the automatic roadway gates were lowering to block traffic on Maple Road, a press release said. They also reported that the gates' red lights started flashing, as did the overhead and roadside train signals in both directions. Bystanders additionally said the train blew its horn before approaching the crossing.

Officers originally said the Honda did not stop for these warnings, causing the train to hit the passenger side of the sedan. Investigators previously thought the preliminary cause of the collision was the driver's failure to obey traffic control devices.

Authorities reviewed a video of the accident and released a new account. Police now say the train entered the intersection while the gates were still lowering, meaning the roadway was not completely blocked when the crash happened. The overhead and roadside lights still functioned properly.

Officers said the investigation then started considering whether the train conductor was at fault.

The charging documents said Smith "did cause the death of Lamar Anthony Patterson, while driving, operating and controlling a vehicle in a grossly negligent matter," WJZ reported.

Medics pronounced the Honda driver dead on the scene, the Anne Arundel County Police Department said. The uninjured train conductor was the only person on the light rail.

There is no evidence that alcohol or drugs were involved.

To learn more about the charges, read WJZ's full story. Read this other article from WJZ to learn about Patterson's legacy and football career.

Related: MD Light Rail Crash: FL Driver Hit By Train, Fault In Question