Overview
- Lea admitted to six counts of negligent vehicular manslaughter for the March 2023 Beltway crash that sent her car through a barrier gap into a work zone, killing six construction workers.
- Under the plea, the state is seeking a 24-year prison term, though separate court reporting from the Baltimore Banner said two assistant prosecutors recommended a 60-year sentence with most of it suspended.
- Investigators said both involved drivers exceeded 120 mph and the NTSB concluded an unsafe lane change and extreme speed caused the crash, finding no indication of a sudden medical event despite Lea’s claim.
- The second driver, Malachi Brown, previously pleaded guilty in 2024 and, according to WBAL, has completed his sentence.
- The family of victim Sybil DiMaggio is suing Maryland and a contractor over work-zone protections, and state transportation officials have enacted stricter work-zone safety policies and supported a law expanding speed-camera use and fines.