Victim Dressed in Black Hit By Car; Alcohol Use Investigated

SEVERN, MD — Alcohol may have played a role in a pedestrian fatally hit by a car in Severn, say police, who are investigating whether the victim and the car’s driver had consumed alcohol.

The accident was reported about 1:45 a.m. Sunday to Anne Arundel County Police on Telegraph Road (MD-170) near Paul Drive in Severn.

A witness reported that he swerved to avoid a pedestrian in the roadway and stopped to check on him. Before he could reach the victim, a Ford Fusion also southbound on Telegraph Road struck and drove over the pedestrian.

The driver of the Ford did not stop and continued southbound on Telegraph Road, police say. Through vehicle debris left at the scene, a suspect vehicle was identified and officers found the vehicle at the owner’s address, along with a driver and a passenger.

Ryan James Jeffries, 29, of Odenton is the owner and driver of the Ford, police say. His passenger was Ronald G. Hoffman III, 24, of Gambrills.

The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene and taken to the medical examiner’s office in Baltimore for autopsy. Jeffries and Hoffman were not injured.

The preliminary cause of the crash appears to be the pedestrian’s unlawful presence in the roadway.

A contributing circumstance was his all-black clothing on an unlit portion of the road. Speed was not a factor, but there was evidence of alcohol use by Jeffries, and possibly by the pedestrian victim.

The identity of the pedestrian is not being released pending notification to next of kin. Any charges are pending review by the State’s Attorney’s Office.