UPDATE: On February 9, 2019, the juvenile Emma Leigh
Clarke, age 3 months, succumbed to the injuries sustained in the motor vehicle
collision. The investigation is ongoing.
On February 7, 2019, deputies
from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 19200 block of
Three Notch Road in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision
involving three vehicles. The Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Unit
responded to the scene and continued the investigation.
Preliminary investigation
determined a 2008 Honda Civic operated by Alexa Taylor Smith, age 23 of Owings,
was traveling southbound on Three Notch Road in the area of King James
Parkway. Smith attempted to make a
U-turn at King James Parkway, and was struck by a 2013 Ford Escape traveling
southbound, operated by John Wesley Lonkert, age 39 of Scotland, Maryland. After
being struck, Smith’s vehicle entered the northbound lane where it was struck
by a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe operated by Joseph Dennis Spalding, age 58 of Hollywood,
Maryland. Smith and a passenger were transported to an area trauma center, and
a juvenile in Smith’s vehicle was transported to Children’s Hospital for
treatment. Lonkert was transported to
MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital with incapacitating injuries.
At this time, driver error
appears to be the contributing factor in the collision. Anyone who may have
witnessed the collision or events leading to the collision, are asked to
contact Deputy First Class John Davis at (301) 475-4200 extension *8015 or by email
at John.Davis@stmarysmd.com.
For official news and
information, follow the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office on Twitter
@firstsheriff.
