MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A devastating two-vehicle collision in the early hours of Saturday morning, July 5, claimed the lives of two individuals on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County. The crash occurred just before 3 a.m., prompting an immediate response from Maryland State Police and local emergency services.
According to investigators, 25-year-old Ashley Salazar, a resident of Clarksburg, Maryland, was driving a Chevy Cruze southbound in the northbound lanes of I-270 for reasons that are still under investigation. As she continued in the wrong direction, her vehicle collided head-on with a Honda Accord traveling northbound.
The driver of the Honda, identified as 33-year-old Jeremy De La Torre of Frederick, Maryland, was the sole occupant of his vehicle. The impact of the crash was catastrophic, and both Salazar and De La Torre were pronounced dead at the scene by Montgomery County first responders.
The crash prompted the closure of all northbound lanes on I-270 for several hours. State police and traffic investigators remained on scene conducting a thorough investigation and clearing the wreckage. The highway was not reopened until around 8 a.m., causing significant disruptions to early morning travel.
Authorities have not yet determined why Salazar was traveling in the wrong direction, and toxicology reports are pending as part of the ongoing investigation.
The tragic incident has left both the Clarksburg and Frederick communities in mourning. Friends and family members of the victims are grappling with the sudden and shocking loss of two young lives.
As the investigation continues, police are urging anyone who may have witnessed the crash or observed the Chevy Cruze traveling in the wrong direction to come forward with information.
This heartbreaking event serves as a painful reminder of how quickly lives can be lost on the road. Community members are being asked to keep the families of Ashley Salazar and Jeremy De La Torre in their thoughts and prayers during this time of immense sorrow.
May both victims rest in peace.
