Howard County police are investigating two unrelated fatal collisions this morning.
At approximately 6:36 a.m., a 2007 Honda Civic was stopped at the light on the ramp from I-95 southbound to Route 175 westbound in Elkridge when the driver accelerated through the red signal and was struck by a 2017 Hyundai Elantra traveling westbound on 175. The driver and sole occupant of the Honda, Latasha Maria Curtis Barrett, 38, of Baltimore was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver and sole occupant of the Hyundai, an adult female, was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The intersection was closed for approximately two and a half hours.
In an unrelated hit-and-run incident, police received information just before 8 a.m. today from a citizen reporting that a body was located in a wooded area on the westbound side of Route 99, near Weatherstone Drive in Ellicott City. Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was a pedestrian who was likely struck by an unknown vehicle sometime overnight.
The pedestrian has been identified as Michael Kevin Fitzpatrick, 54, of Ellicott City. Investigators believe he was walking alongside or in the travel portion of the roadway. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 410-313-STOP or [email protected]. Route 99 will remain closed for an undetermined amount of time.
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