The riders both wore helmets, but the helmets were not fastened properly and came off at impact
On April 16 at 1:57 a.m., a 2000 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by Andre Lynn Prue, 38, of Ft. Washington, Md., was traveling south on Smallwood Drive with a passenger, Barbara Ann Kidd, 40, of Waldorf, on the back of the motorcycle. As the motorcycle approached the bridge north of Md. Route 925 the driver lost control, crossed into the left lane and then struck the guardrail on the bridge. Both the driver and the passenger struck the guardrail as the motorcycle continued over the bridge. They were then ejected from the motorcycle.
Kidd was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was flown by a Maryland State Police helicopter to the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he is said to be in serious but stable condition. Both Prue and Kidd were wearing helmets, but it appears the helmets were not secured properly and came off both Prue and Kidd when they impacted the guardrail.
The eastbound side of Smallwood Drive was closed between Md. Route 925 and Copley Avenue until 5:35 a.m. for the investigation. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Cpl. R. Padgett of the Charles County Sheriffs Office's Traffic Operations Unit. Speed is considered a factor.