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DUI Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Beloved Maryland Man

A 27-year-old St. Mary's County man is facing a host of charges for allegedly drinking, driving, and killing a popular 18-year-old teen in Maryland over the weekend.

Matthew Mark Mazza (left) Jamari Duckett

Matthew Mark Mazza (left) Jamari Duckett

Photo Credit: St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office/John Duckett via Facebook

Lexington Park resident Matthew Mark Mazza was served a warrant on Sunday, July 10, after rear-ending Great Mills resident Jamari Duckett shorty after 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff's Office, resulting in the teen's death.

Specifically, Mazza was charged with:

  • Life-threatening injury by vehicle or boat while under the influence;
  • Cause life-threatening injury by vehicle or boat while impaired;
  • Life-threatening injury (as the) driver/operator;
  • Driving, attempting to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol;
  • Driving, attempting to drive while impaired by alcohol;
  • Reckless driving;
  • Negligent driving;
  • Failure to control vehicle speed on a highway to avoid a collision.

Members of the sheriff's office responded to a reported motor vehicle crash in the area of Willows Road and Abberly Crest Lane in Lexington Park on Saturday morning, officials said.

Upon arrival, deputies said that they found one driver - later identified as Duckett - unresponsive, they added.

The initial investigation determined that Mazza was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado north on Willows Road when he struck Duckett’s 2015 Ford Focus from behind.

Duckett was transported to an area hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries.

Officials said that the initial investigation determined that speed and alcohol appeared to be contributing factors, leading to Mazza's arrest.

Mazza is being held at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center before his scheduled bond hearing in the afternoon of Monday, July 11.

The fatal crash remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed or has information regarding the incident has been asked to contact Cpl. Brandon Foor at the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office by calling (301) 475-4200 ext. 72265 or emailing brandon.foor@stmarysmd.com.

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