STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A 25-year-old Fredericksburg man charged in a suspected drunken driving crash that killed a Stafford County mother and her young child was arraigned Monday in two separate courts and is being held without bond, according to the Stafford County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
Malik Jeremiah Thomas, an active-duty Marine, faces two counts of aggravated manslaughter and a charge of driving while intoxicated in connection with the Nov. 6 crash on Interstate 95, Commonwealth's Attorney Eric Olsen said in a Monday news release.
Thomas appeared Monday, Nov. 9, in Stafford General District Court, where he was arraigned on the DWI charge and one aggravated manslaughter charge. He was also arraigned that day in Stafford Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on the manslaughter charge involving the death of the young child.
Thomas told the court that he had hired an attorney, according to Olsen.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 22 in Stafford General District Court.
Thomas is being held without bond pending the filing of bond motions in both courts, Olsen said.
Each aggravated manslaughter charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison under Virginia Code § 18.2-36.1.
The new information clarifies Thomas' legal status following his arrest Friday morning. Earlier Stafford General District Court records listed him as being in custody and showed a Dec. 22 hearing on the DWI charge.
The crash occurred around just before 2 a.m. Friday, on northbound I-95 near mile marker 141 in Stafford County.
According to the preliminary investigation by Virginia State Police, Thomas was driving a Dodge Charger at a high rate of speed when it struck the rear of a Nissan Rogue carrying a Stafford County family.
The impact sent the Rogue off the left side of the interstate, where it overturned.
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An adult female passenger died at the scene. Her young child, who was under the age of 5, was transported to an area hospital, where the child later died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The driver of the Rogue, the child's father and the woman's husband, suffered life-threatening injuries.
Olsen confirmed Monday that the father remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims.
Thomas was not injured in the crash. Three passengers riding in the Charger suffered minor injuries, state police said.
Thomas was arrested at the crash scene on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.
His blood alcohol concentration was 0.17, more than twice Virginia's legal limit of 0.08, according to Olsen.
Online Stafford General District Court records reviewed Friday showed Thomas was charged with first-offense driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration between 0.15% and 0.20%, a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Following additional investigation and evidence collection Friday morning, authorities charged Thomas with two counts of aggravated manslaughter.
Olsen's latest release identifies Thomas as an active-duty Marine, confirming information previously reported by the prosecutor that Thomas had identified himself to state police as a member of the military.
The crash remains under investigation by Virginia State Police.
Thomas is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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