Driver Involved In Fatal I-695 Construction Zone Crash Released To Home Detention Amid Ongoing Investigations

BALTIMORE COUNTY - The multi-vehicle crash that resulted in the tragic deaths of six construction workers on Baltimore County's Interstate 695 in March has sparked in-depth investigations, legal disputes, and calls for updated work zone regulations.

New details have recently emerged from criminal charges against the two drivers in the Woodlawn accident.

Lisa Lea, a 54-year-old Randallstown resident facing charges related to the death of the construction workers, was released on Wednesday from custody to home detention. She had turned herself in on an open warrant five weeks prior.

Melachi Duane Darnell Brown, aged 20, was apprehended by Maryland State Police in early June and is also under house arrest.

Prosecutors have asserted that dashboard camera footage shows that both Lea and Brown were weaving in and out of traffic lanes before the accident. Both are alleged to have been driving over 120 mph, more than double the 55 mph work zone speed limit.

Footage from WJZ shows Brown's vehicle in the left lane of the loop and Lea's vehicle moving into the same lane when her Acura enters the frame. According to prosecutors, the cars sideswipe each other, with Brown's vehicle moving at approximately 111 mph and Lea's at 108 mph at the time of impact.

Police said that the impact caused Lea's vehicle to push Brown's car into the concrete barrier while her car swerved and proceeded into the construction zone, colliding with equipment and the workers. Brown's vehicle stopped about 880 feet beyond the crash site, where he exited his car and cooperated with the police response.

Six construction workers died at the scene, and Lea was critically injured and transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Charges were pending against both drivers immediately after the accident, according to the Maryland State Police. Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board has initiated an investigation into the accident.

The federal agency released a preliminary report in April but did not reveal significant details. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, a final report with intricate crash details is expected to be issued in one or two years.

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