BALTIMORE — A 12-year-old girl died in a single-vehicle crash in Columbia early Sunday morning, Howard County police said. Police identified her on Monday as as Josseline Molina-Rivas.
Police believe Molina-Rivas was driving a 2017 Toyota Corolla around 2:08 a.m. in Columbia when the car left the road and struck a tree. The passenger, 36-year-old Mario Arturo-Artiga, remained in serious condition Monday at Shock Trauma. The two share an apartment address but are not related.
Police said Monday they do not know why Molina-Rivas and Arturo-Artiga were in a car together early Sunday morning. Traffic detectives believe speed was a factor in the crash and are investigating whether either occupant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Police said the registered owner of the Toyota lived in the same apartment as Molina-Rivas and Arturo-Artiga, along with numerous other family members and residents.
Medics pronounced Molina-Rivas dead at the scene. Police believe she was driving southbound on Broken Land Parkway, just north of Cradlerock Way, when the car crashed into a tree. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
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