Woodbridge Woman Dies After Crashing SUV Into House: Police

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A Woodbridge woman died early Monday morning when she sped away from a police traffic stop and then overturned her SUV and hit a house in University Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. The driver, 30-year-old Jennifer Sorto, was pronounced dead at the scene.

At about 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 9, Prince George's County police officers were in the area of Aldelphi Road and Van Buren Street in University Park when they saw a driver in a red SUV who appeared not to be wearing a seatbelt. Officers turned on their emergency lights and sirens and attempted a traffic stop. The SUV came to a brief stop. The officers stepped out of their vehicle and were walking toward the SUV when Sorto allegedly placed the SUV in drive and fled the area.

According to the police department, the officers did not conduct a pursuit of the car. They returned to their vehicle and began to canvass the immediate area in search of the SUV. Minutes later they discovered the SUV overturned in a resident's front yard in the 7100 block of College Heights Drive. A male passenger was standing outside of the car and Sorto was located inside the vehicle, the police department said.

The Prince George's County police said the SUV struck an unoccupied parked car, skidded sideways and flipped before striking a house. The police said they believe excessive speed, road and weather conditions were factors in the collision. Investigators also are working to determine if alcohol or any other intoxicants played a role.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at 301-731-4422. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or go online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com.