12-year-old driver dies in crash that injures her adult passenger, Maryland cops say

A 12-year-old girl died in Maryland after a car she was driving struck a tree, local media outlets reported.

The girl was driving a 2017 Toyota Corolla when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed “for an unknown reason,” WJLA reported.

Police said the incident happened at around 2:08 a.m. on Sunday, July 24, in Columbia, Maryland, WBAL TV reported.

The girl was not alone in the car, the Howard County Police Department said on Twitter – a 36-year-old male passenger was taken to a nearby hospital and remains in serious condition.

Officers tracked down the registered owner of the Toyota and found that the girl and the man lived in the same apartment “with numerous family members and residents,” according to a news release from the agency.

The girl and the man are not related, and it’s unclear why the child was driving that night, police said.

Police added that speed was likely a factor in the crash, but that officials are still trying to determine if either the girl or the man were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 1:20 PM with the headline "12-year-old driver dies in crash that injures her adult passenger, Maryland cops say."