Thambiraj Nathaniel, 79, of Prince George’s County died Sunday from injuries sustained in a two-car collision in Silver Spring on Tuesday, Montgomery County Police said.
This is the first traffic fatality reported by police in 2024. There were 44 traffic fatalities in 2023, according to Zero Deaths Maryland, which is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office.
On Tuesday afternoon, the driver of a gray 2016 Subaru Forester attempted to make a left turn from southbound Colesville Road to Timberwood Avenue when it was hit by a silver 2017 Nissan Rouge traveling northbound on Colesville Road, according to police.
Police said that officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded to the scene around 1:08 p.m.
The Subaru driver and both occupants of the Nissan were transported to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, and Nathaniel, a passenger in the Subaru, was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries, police said. On Sunday, after being in the hospital for five days, Nathaniel died from his injuries, according to police.
Police said that this is an active and ongoing investigation and urge anyone with information about this incident to call Collision Reconstruction Unit detectives at 240-773-6620.
Montgomery County has its Vision Zero plan in place, which allocates resources to help eliminate serious injury and fatal collisions on county roads for vehicle occupants, pedestrians and bicyclists by the end of 2030.