A festive birthday party in the quiet neighborhood of Bladensburg, Maryland turned into a heartbreaking scene late Saturday when a car veered off the road and plowed into a crowd gathered under a tent outside a home. The victim: 31-year-old Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez of Washington D.C., who later succumbed to her injuries. At least 14 other people were struck, including eight children aged between 1 and 17.
It was around 10 p.m. when the incident occurred in the 4100-block of 55th Avenue—just off the area of Annapolis Road—according to the Bladensburg Police Department. Investigators say a sedan drove from Annapolis Road and rammed into a group assembled for a birthday celebration. Witnesses report the vehicle embedded itself underneath a white party tent, shattering the carefree atmosphere in an instant.
The panic was immediate. Children screamed, chairs toppled, and the driver attempted to flee on foot. Police later confirmed that the 66-year-old male driver from Washington D.C. turned himself in Sunday afternoon. He is now cooperating with investigators and criminal charges are expected.
Of the injured, at least six children have since been treated and released. One child remains hospitalized in stable condition. Among the adults, three are in stable condition in hospital, one is pending treatment, and one has been released. The exact number of people affected has been revised several times—estimates now stand at 14 injured in total, including eight children.
The community here is shaken. A night meant for celebration and laughter became one of loss and shock. Neighbors say the victim was known for her warm smile and generous spirit, always the one to cheer on birthday candles and raise a toast. Now, her family’s grief echoes across this suburban street, where a party tent once held joy and balloons. Local families, still processing the trauma, are reaching out to one another, offering rides, hugs, and condolences in the wake of the tragedy.
Authorities with the Bladensburg Police Department, in cooperation with the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS and the State’s Attorney’s Office, are actively investigating the cause of the crash. They are calling on anyone with information to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 301-864-6080.
For now, the makeshift party tent is gone, debris cleared, but the memory of that night remains. The voices of the injured, the family grieving Ashley, the children trying to understand what just happened—all are part of a larger story of community shock, the fragility of life, and the suddenness with which joy can turn into sorrow.