Skip to main content

DC man indicted in Bladensburg birthday party hit-and-run that killed 1, injured 8 kids

A D.C. man was indicted Wednesday on 36 charges related to an October incident in which a vehicle plowed into a child’s birthday party, killing a woman and injuring more than a dozen people.

Sunday Joseph, 66, is accused of reversing his vehicle into the front yard of a home in Bladensburg, Maryland, where a child’s birthday party was being held inside a tent.

Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez, 31, was killed and 13 others were injured, eight of them children.

Joseph ran from the scene of the crash and was arrested the next day, according to prosecutors.

“A celebration meant for joy and family turned into a scene of devastation, leaving one woman dead and many others injured, including children,” State’s Attorney Tara Jackson said in October.

He’s charged with grossly negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, three counts of hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury, 11 counts of failure to return and remain at the scene of a crash, and 11 counts of reckless driving.

The most serious charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Joseph is being held without bond and is expected back in court for a trial on Jan. 30.

How ‘Heated Rivalry’ is sparking new conversations about queer visibility on the ice in DC

"Heated Rivalry," the hit hockey-romance book turned streaming phenomenon, has taken the internet by storm. Inside real locker rooms, the series is prompting a deeper conversation about hockey culture and who gets to feel at home in the sport. Hockey has long been known as a stereotypically macho and physical sport. But on Sunday nights at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland, players lace up their skates not just for the love of hockey, but for the sense of belonging that comes with it.
Read Next Story