2 drivers killed in Annapolis wrong-way crash identified

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Two people were killed after police say a wrong-way driver caused an early morning crash involving three vehicles near Annapolis on Wednesday.

Authorities said the crash happened at about 2 a.m. on westbound Route 50 near Bay Dale Drive.

Detectives said their investigation revealed a 2002 Hyundai Accent being driven by 31-year-old Christine Parks of Severn, Maryland, was heading eastbound in the westbound lanes of Route 50 when it struck a 2002 Honda Civic being driven by 34-year-old Hui Xu of Herndon, Virginia.

The force of the crash rotated Xu's vehicle into the middle lane where it was struck by a 2014 Toyota Avalon driven by 21-year-old Alexander Kwon of Brea, California, according to officials.

Parks and Xu, who were the only people inside their vehicles, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Kwon and his passenger, 21-year-old Janet Kim of Fullerton, California, were taken to Anne Arundel County Medical Center where they were treated and released.

Detectives said their investigation was ongoing and the cause of the crash had not yet been determined. Authorities did note that alcoholic beverage containers were found in Parks' vehicle, but did not specify whether they were open or the location of the containers within the vehicle.

Investigators said they don't believe speed was a factor and they have yet to determine where Parks was traveling from or to.

It's also unclear where Parks entered the westbound lanes heading the wrong direction, according to officials.

Earlier this month, the driver of a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Interstate 97, just north of Route 50, was killed after colliding head on with another vehicle.

In May, a female driver was killed and her baby was critically injured after hitting another car head on in a wrong-way crash along the eastbound lanes of Route 50 near the Route 2. The driver of the other vehicle was rescued by first responders after being trapped in his vehicle for almost two hours, but would later die from his injuries.