Skip to main content

Woman killed, 2 kids hurt when car veers off road in Charles Co.

WASHINGTON — A woman is dead after her car veered off the road and hit a tree in Waldorf, Maryland, on Friday evening, Maryland State police said.

Akeema Perry, 25, of La Plata, Maryland, was driving south on U.S. Route 301 north of Gillespie Circle at 5:40 p.m. when her car left the roadway, hit the curb, became airborne and struck a tree on the driver’s side, police said in a news release.

The crash left Perry trapped inside the car, along with her two children, ages 4 and 6, who were restrained in child safety seats, the release said.

Fire department personnel were able to get Perry out of the car, and police moved her to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead at around 10 p.m., according to the release.

Her two children were taken to another hospital, where they were treated for their injuries, police said. Both children have since been released from the hospital.

Police believe driver error and speed caused the crash, the release said. They do not believe alcohol was a factor.

Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call 301-392-1200.

Maryland Zoo’s lone female elephant moving as facility transitions to all-male herd

The Maryland Zoo is preparing to say goodbye to its only female African elephant as it changes to an all-male herd. Felix, a 43-year-old elephant who has lived at the Baltimore zoo for 19 years, will move to another facility later this week. Zoo officials said the move is in Felix’s best interest because it will give her opportunities to socialize with other female elephants. Her interaction with other females have been limited since the zoo’s other female elephant died in 2024. “We will all miss her but having social companionship in a female herd is the best thing for Felix’s overall well-being,” Mammal Curator Erin Cantwell Grimm said.
Read Next Story