On September 17, 2017, at 7:59 PM, patrol deputies from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of Piney Point Road and Blake Creek Road for the report of a serious motor vehicle collision. Due to the nature of the collision, The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Collision Reconstruction Unit was requested.
The preliminary investigation determined a 1999 Toyota Corolla operated by Shelia Marie Hardesty, 54, of Leonardtown, MD, was traveling southbound on Piney Point Road when, for unknown reasons, the vehicle crossed the center line and into northbound traffic. The vehicle then struck a 2005 GMC Sierra 2500 operated by James Matthew Bowes Jr., 24, of Leonardtown, MD.
Hardesty was pronounced deceased at the scene. Bowes was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Preliminarily, neither speed nor alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor.
Anyone with further information regarding this collision, please contact Deputy John Davis at (240)496-6695 or by email, John.Davis@stmarysmd.com.
