Driver suspected of causing deadly Landover crash released on bond

LANDOVER, Md. - Officials in Prince George's County said police had been trying to locate the man suspected of causing a deadly crash that killed a Springdale woman in Landover. Authorities had an arrest warrant for 34-year-old Juan Sanchez, but investigators fear he was evading them.

Charges are still pending against Sanchez after he was involved in a 9-vehicle crash that killed 53-year-old Angela Jefferson. The Laurel man was arrested Thursday on the pending warrant, but he is now a free man once again after posting a $2,600 bond.

FOX 5 has learned the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office tried to serve Sanchez with a warrant for DUI and failing to show up in court. Sources told us they attempted to serve him several times, with the last time coming in November. However, Sanchez was never home.

A source said investigators believe Sanchez was purposely avoiding them and living somewhere other than his registered address.

We went to his home several times on Friday after learning he was out on bond, but he was not there.

Maryland State Police said charges are pending after this crash. Several other people were also injured.

The Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office explained why Sanchez is free after today.

"He was arrested by Maryland State Police but he was arrested on the open warrant he had for a failure to appear for a DUI charge in 2014," said John Erzen, spokesperson for the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office. "With these cases, if you were to rush and charge the traffic offenses first, someone could conceivably come into court, take care of those charges and then if the investigation were to show that a more serious charge such as motor vehicle manslaughter or negligent homicide be warranted, we would not be able to charge them with that if they had taken care of the traffic offenses because that would be considered double jeopardy."

Sanchez's sister told FOX 5 Thursday night that he suffers from epilepsy and might have had a seizure at the time of the accident.

At this point, it is unclear if drugs or alcohol played a role in Thursday's deadly crash.

The State's Attorney's Office said it could take weeks or months before we know what charges, if any, Sanchez will face.