Three passengers died in a single car accident early Sunday morning in Olney.
Authorities said that the driver, who suffered minor injuries, left the scene. He was picked up later by police.
A total of five people were in the car at the time of the crash, which happened just after 3 a.m., Montgomery County police said. An accident happened on Route 108 between Olney Mill Road and Wickham Road. Route 108, also called Olney Laytonsville Road, was closed Sunday morning while an accident reconstruction team gathered evidence.
Authorities said the vehicle in the crash was a silver 2007 Toyota Corolla. The vehicle left the west bound lane of the road and struck a telephone pole and two trees, authorities said.
All of the passengers and the driver were under the age of 21. The three who died are Spencer Datt, 18, of Derwood, Haeley McGuire, 18, of Rockville, and John Hoover, 20, also of Rockville. Charles Nardella, 19, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat on the driver's side, survived the crash, and was treated at an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Police identified the driver as 20-year-old Kevin Coffay, of Rockville. Law enforcement said that Coffay fled the accident site, and was apprehended three hours later. He first went to a friend's house and then his mother's, NBC Washington's Jane Watrel reported. He was treated for minor injuries after being taken into custody.
Prior to the crash, the group had been at two parties, Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said. According to charging documents, Coffay had "a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his person."
Coffay's attorney told the judge that Coffay was suffering from depression and that his father is in the advanced stages of alzheimer's disease and his mother is suffering from cancer.
Coffay is being held on $50,000 bond, reduced from $500,000. At the Rockville District Courthouse Monday, a judge ruled that he will not be placed on electronic monitoring upon posting bond. The judge ordered substance and mental health treatment.
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If convicted, Coffay could be sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison, Watrel reported.
Everyone in the car either attended or graduated from Magruder High School. Coffay is currently a student at James Madison.
A resident in the neighborhood said that this stretch of road had been notorious for a number of crashes years ago, calling it "Killer Highway."
