On March 31 at 1:51 a.m., a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am was traveling north on Turkey Hill Road, about a half-mile north of Crain Highway, at a high rate of speed. The driver, Richard Brendan Griffin, 23, of Pomfret, lost control of the vehicle and it left the roadway and struck a large tree. A passenger, Brian Jeremy Miller, 23, of Pomfret, was ejected from the vehicle.
After the crash, the driver went to a nearby friend’s house to call for assistance and returned to the scene while officers were investigating. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene. Griffin was flown by a Maryland State Police helicopter to Prince George’s General Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Alcohol appears to be a factor in addition to speed and both the driver and passenger appear to have been wearing their seatbelts. A portion of Turkey Hill Road was closed after the crash until about 6:30 a.m. Officer R. Glover of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Operations Unit is investigating.