Columbia woman dies in crash at drag race
One other dead, Elkridge man injured in I-70 collision
By Mike Santa Rita
msantarita@patuxent.com
Posted 6/22/09
A Columbia woman was among two people killed in a crash at the scene of a drag race early Sunday morning on Interstate 70 in Baltimore County and an Elkridge man was seriously injured in the crash, according to Maryland State Police.
Mary-Kathryn Michele Abernathy, 21, of the 8600 block of Hayshed Lane, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in Baltimore County, near the Baltimore City line, Maryland State Police said.
Jonathan Robert Henderson, 20, of La Plata also was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The collision occurred shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday, when a large group of cars was stopped along the right shoulder of westbound I-70. A number of occupants of the vehicles had exited their cars and were standing along the shoulder when a westbound 2009 Chevrolet Impala driven by Donneil Raeburn, 26, of Pikesville, went out of control and struck the rear of a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier owned by Paul Duffy, 22, of Elkridge.
Duffy was hit while he stood next to his vehicle. He was taken by ambulance to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with serious injuries.
The force of the collision caused the Cavalier to hit the rear of a 1995 Acura Integra owned by Henderson. Henderson and Abernathy, who had come to the race scene together, were standing near the Acura, police said.
Witnesses at the scene told police they had gathered in the area to watch drag racing when someone saw a Baltimore County police vehicle traveling eastbound on I-70. As the police vehicle approached the area, the onlookers had begun to return to their vehicles and disperse when the crash occurred.
Police investigators are attempting to determine if Raeburn was drag racing before the crash. No charges had been filed as of Monday morning.
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