Report details underage drinking party, speeding contributed to deadly teen car crash
GAITHERSBURG, Md. - A new report has provided new details about a fatal car crash that killed two Montgomery County teenagers in North Potomac earlier this summer.
The accident took place back on June 25 and its major findings found that the deadly combination of teenage drinking and speeding are to blame.
But Montgomery County police said on Monday they are looking into possibly charging the father of the teenage girl who hosted the party the victims attended because he was home at the time and they said he was aware that underage drinking was going on.
Alex Murk and Calvin Li were killed, and Sam Ellis, the driver of the vehicle, and Cameron Siasi, were injured after their Acura vehicle crashed on Dufief Mill Road.
"This is a classic case of alcohol, speed, feeling invincible and not wearing seatbelts," said Montgomery County Police Capt. Tom Didone.
He said the newly-released accident reconstruction report details underage drinking and beer pong at a house on Boat House Way prior to the crash.
The report said Ellis had a blood alcohol content of .09 at the hospital. He also tested positive for marijuana and the drug found in Zanax.
Police said many witnesses refused to speak, but later found "Alex had a snapchat" story about the party.
"Cell phones are great amount of evidence and we did get information to support or provide circumstantial evidence to help support the fact that there was a party and people were attending," said Capt. Didone.
The report said the father of the girl hosting the party was at home. Kenneth Saltzman did not purchase the alcohol, but found he was present when the underage drinking was going on, which is illegal under Maryland law.
Ellis could face manslaughter charges and Saltzman could face a charge of failure of adult responsibility.
"We have parents openly hosting parties, we have kids that believe they have a rite of passage to drink and we're having fatal collisions involving teens and alcohol every year," Didone said.
No one answered the door at Saltzman's home when FOX 5 arrived. Police has still not interviewed Ellis because his attorney has declined.
A final determination on charges is expected to come next month.
The report also explained why the car was traveling at least over 60 miles over the speed limit, according to some estimates. According to an interview with a survivor of the car crash, the teenagers believed that traffic speed cameras on the road could be defeated if they drove by them at an incredibly high rate of speed.