3 Vehicle Churchton Crash Kills Rockville Woman, Injures 9 Others

CHURCHTON, MD — A woman has died from a three-vehicle Christmas Eve crash in Churchton that injured nine people, authorities say. Investigators suspect that alcohol, speed and wet road conditions all contributed to the fatal accident that killed a Rockville woman traveling with family members from Shady Side. Anne Arundel County Police say and charges would be filed after review by the State’s Attorney.

Officials say Jean Elizabeth Dieux, 87, of Rockville, was taken to Washington DC MedStar, where she died from her injuries on Monday. She was a passenger in a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup that was struck head-on about 5:30 p.m. on Deale Churchton Road near Franklin Manor Road in Churchton.

Investigators say a 2006 Volkswagen Golf GTI was northbound on Deale Churchton Road at a high rate of speed when it drifted across the centerline and sideswiped a 2016 Lincoln Navigator and then struck the pickup truck head-on in the southbound lane. The driver of the Volkswagen, James Wilfred Houle, 29, of Midland, Virginia, was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma with serious injuries. Police said Tuesday that his condition has improved and he is expected to survive.

The primary cause of this collision was Houle's failure remain right of center, police say.

The driver of the Navigator, Brian Jay Heller, 39, of Deale, was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center with minor injuries. His passengers — Richard Waring Mccann Jr., 35, and Victoria Lee McCann, 34, both of Churchton, both refused treatment for minor injuries.

The pickup Dieux was riding in was driven by Michael James Bernhardt, 62, of Shady Side, who was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center with minor injuries. Other passengers in the truck and their conditions are:

• Gracon Cooper, 7, of Shady Side, was taken to Washington DC MedStar with minor injuries
• Kelly Dieux, 40, of Shady Side, was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center with minor injuries
• Julie Ann Dieux, 62, of Shady Side, was taken to Prince George's County Trauma with minor injuries
• Ann Whittaker Burger, 85, of Shady Side, was taken to Prince George's County Trauma with serious injuries

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