In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, a Lanham, MD woman was sentenced to ten years in prison, with all but three years suspended, after pleading guilty to negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle in connection with a fatal crash that killed a 30-year-old Rockville man.
Prosecutors said the June 2024 collision occurred on Interstate 495 in Silver Spring and involved alcohol impairment, with the defendant’s blood alcohol content measured at 0.18.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Carlos Acosta sentenced defendant Maria Luisa Alvarez, 20, of Lanham, to ten years in prison, suspending all but three years to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release. The sentencing hearing was held Friday, January 9, 2026.
On November 14, 2025, Alvarez pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle for the crash leading to the death of 30-year-old Boris Josue Bonilla of Rockville.
The collision occurred on June 5, 2024, at about 3 a.m. on the inner loop of Interstate 495 at Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. The investigation revealed that the defendant was driving a 2005 Honda Accord and was taking the ramp from southbound Georgia Avenue to the inner loop of I-495. The defendant failed to negotiate the right-hand curve of the on ramp and entered into the grassy area between the ramp and the roadway, then continued perpendicular into the travel lanes of the inner loop. The defendant’s Accord was struck on the driver side by a Honda Civic. The Accord then rotated counterclockwise and was struck on its passenger side by a Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep tipped and rolled over two times. The defendant’s vehicle came to rest in the far-left lane and the left shoulder. The drivers of all three vehicles and two passengers in the Civic were transported to the hospital for injuries. Bonilla was a front seat passenger in the Accord. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. A toxicology test showed that the defendant’s blood alcohol content was .18 grams of alcohol per 100mL of blood.
Assistant State’s Attorney Joshua Wesnidge prosecuted this case.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Boris Bonilla. This was a tragic and unnecessary loss, and we thank the Maryland State Police for their thorough investigation in this matter,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
