Howard County woman dies after head-on collision with juveniles in stolen vehicle
A woman was killed after juveniles driving a stolen car caused a four-vehicle crash in Howard County on Friday afternoon.
According to the Howard County Police Department, at 3:06 p.m., a stolen 2017 Hyundai Sonata was driving east on Guilford Avenue in Jessup when it crossed the double yellow lines to speed past a 2021 Tesla Model Y preparing to make a left turn onto Twelve Sons Court.
The Sonata sideswiped the Tesla and a 2010 Honda Fit before crashing head-on with a 2021 Honda Civic.
Four juveniles then hopped out of the Sonata and fled the scene. However, one of the juveniles was injured in the collision and taken to a hospital.
According to police, his most recent condition as of Saturday was listed as serious but stable.
The driver of the Honda Civic, 69-year-old Bonnie Fuller Griffith of Columbia, was also transported to a hospital after the crash but was pronounced dead by medical staff.
Police said no one else was injured in the crash.
An investigation is underway as the three other juveniles are outstanding, police said.
Charges have not yet been filed.
Juvenile crime in Howard County
This comes as juvenile crime has been a cause for concern for Howard County residents.
In February, a shooting allegedly carried out by an 18-year-old near the Mall in Columbia killed 16-year-old Michael Robertson and 15-year-old Blake McCray.
Just months prior, another teen, 17-year-old Angelo Little, was shot and killed inside the same mall near the food court.
According to data from Howard County Police, the number of homicides increased last year. In 2023, there were five homicides reported in the county, and in 2024, there were nine.
