A Silver Spring woman who drove up to 84.5 mph in a 40-mph zone before causing a crash that killed an 85-year-old woman and seriously injured another person has been sentenced to one year in prison.
Jesica Argueta, 24, was sentenced September 16, 2026, in Montgomery County Circuit Court by Judge Eric Johnson to 20 years in prison, with all but one year suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation. She pleaded guilty on July 22 to vehicular manslaughter by gross negligence and second-degree assault.
The crash occurred August 7, 2025, at approximately 7:44am at Randolph Road and Sherwood Forest Drive in Colesville. According to prosecutors, Argueta was driving a 2025 Toyota GR86 and weaving through morning rush hour traffic before striking a 2011 Toyota 4Runner. The victims were returning home from church, traveling east on Randolph Road and attempting to turn left onto Sherwood Forest Drive.
The collision seriously injured the driver and front-seat passenger Josephine Gieske, 85. Both were transported to a hospital, where Gieske died on August 22 from her injuries. Assistant State’s Attorney Hannah Gleason prosecuted the case.
