One dead, several children injured as car slams into birthday celebration near DC

22 October 2025 , 10:10

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One dead, several children injured as car slams into birthday celebration near DC

A child’s birthday party ended in devastation when a car sped off the road and slammed into a group of guests, killing one woman and leaving more than a dozen injured.

The crash happened late on Saturday night in the quiet suburb of Bladensburg, just outside Washington DC, as relatives and friends gathered beneath a white marquee outside a property as celebrations got underway. Without warning, a light-colored sedan careered off the street and straight through the tent - which was described as being packed with families, according to statements from the city’s police department and the Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Department.

Among the injured were eight children - the youngest just one year old and the oldest aged 17, police said. Emergency crews described a chaotic scene as they treated victims at the property.

The driver is said to have sped up the road and slammed into multiple people. Images from the scene showed the sedan inside the tent and surrounded by overturned chairs, flattened decorations, and birthday balloons. Tragically, one woman, who police identified as Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez, of Washington, DC, succumbed to her injuries and passed away.

Officers said the crash left 13 people injured in total. Six children who were treated at the scene were later released, while one child was taken to the hospital where they remain in a stable condition. Three adults are also in hospital, police said.

The driver, aged 66, left his vehicle and initially ran away but later turned himself in to police. He has since been questioned as prosecutors now consider the appropriate criminal charges.

"Six of the juvenile victims have been treated and released and one has been admitted and is in stable condition," Bladensburg police said in a statement on Sunday. "Three adult victims have been admitted to the hospital and are in stable condition, one is pending treatment, and one has been released."

Thomas Brown

Head of Investigations