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Owen Roland Kirill Fowler, 25, of Bethesda, was arrested Wednesday, Nov. 27, and charged with gross negligent manslaughter by vehicle in connection to the Saturday March 9 crash that killed 30-year-old Jobani Alfredo Cruz, authorities said.
The collision happened at approximately 12:19 a.m. in the area of Connecticut Avenue and Quincy Street, police said.
Investigators determined Fowler, driving a white 2012 Mercedes SLK convertible, and Cruz, driving a 2023 Ram 1500 pickup, were racing northbound at speeds more than double the posted 30-mph limit.
Both drivers repeatedly changed lanes, weaving past traffic. Police said Cruz’s truck struck Fowler’s Mercedes near Primrose Street, causing Cruz’s vehicle to veer off the road," according to a Montgomery County Department of Police spokesperson.
The truck hit a utility pole and trees before overturning, ejecting Cruz from the truck. Fowler’s convertible also flipped in the roadway.
Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Fowler sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized, police said.
The investigation revealed Cruz had a blood alcohol content of 0.12 percent, above the legal limit, and reached a top speed of 64 mph during the incident.
Fowler was driving without a valid license and had his driving privileges revoked at the time, police said.
He is charged with gross negligent manslaughter by vehicle following his arrest months after the crash. He was released from the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he was released after posting 10 percent of a $5,000 bond.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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