21 Year Old Man Convicted on One Count of Criminally Negligent Manslaughter by Motor Vehicle in Death of 57 Year Old Man

Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the honorable Judge David Lease, a jury convicted defendant, Danys Martinez Lazo, 21, of Silver Spring, on one count of Criminally Negligent Manslaughter by Motor Vehicle for the death of Jaques Vainqueur, 57, of Silver Spring.

Martinez Lazo faces up to three years in prison and an additional five years of probation upon release. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday, September 9^th, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. This stems from a traffic collision on November 8^th, 2020, on Old Columbia Pike, near Ruxton Road, in Silver Spring. Below is a summary adapted from a court filing in the case and attached is a photo of the victim which is being released with the family’s permission (There was no booking photo taken of the defendant).

On Sunday, November 8, 2020, at approximately 4:27 am, a traffic collision occurred on Old Columbia Pike, near Ruxton Road, in Silver Spring.  A 2013 Ford F-150, driven by Danys Martinez Lazo, was traveling southbound on Old Columbia Pike when he crossed the center line and struck a 2017 Toyota Camry head on, driven by Jacques Vainqueur, who was traveling northbound on Old Columbia Pike. Vainqueur’s Camry was driven backwards into a dirt hill on the shoulder of the road and came to rest about 78 feet south of the area of impact. Martinez Lazo’s F-150 rolled on its shoulder and flipped over one time before coming to rest 168 feet south of the area of impact.

VICTIMS

Vainqueur’s girlfriend, who was seated in the front passenger seat of the Camry, was transported to Suburban Hospital where she was treated for significant abdominal and hip pain associated with wearing her seatbelt during the collision.  Montgomery County Fire Rescue extricated Vainqueur from the vehicle and transported him to the University of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma Unit where he was later pronounced deceased.  His body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where an autopsy was performed.   Doctors observed numerous fractures, lacerated organs, and hemorrhages, and found the cause of death to be multiple injuries sustained as the result of being a driver in a vehicle collision. When first responders arrived on scene, Martinez Lazo was out of his vehicle and walking around.  He was transported to White Oak Adventist Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

WITNESS STATEMENTS

Investigators spoke to Vainqueur’s girlfriend at the hospital, who stated that:

My boyfriend was driving me to work because I have to be at work at 5am. I don’t know the name of the road I was on. We were in the right lane. We were going from my house to my job in Sykesville. . . [M]y boyfriend was driving . . . and the other car was driving in my lane and hit my car. I started screaming. I tried to talk to my boyfriend. He called my name twice and that was it. I called 911 and then I called my boss after the ambulance got there. I was screaming and cursing and when I tried to get out of the car is when he called my name. . . I don’t remember how fast we were going, but we weren’t speeding. The other car was speeding.

Investigators also spoke to Martinez Lazo, who stated:

I was just driving on my way home from my friend’s house in Cherry Hill. I don’t remember what road I was on.  I was just blinking and as soon as I blinked, it was too late. I was going in my lane and I just felt the crash.  I was in the right lane. I saw the other car on the left and I feel like it was too close. He was coming from the opposite direction. I believe he just went into my lane. Then we crashed, but I don’t know how we hit.

Martinez Lazo estimated his speed to be 30 or 35 miles per hour at the time of the collision.

ANALYSIS

Detective P. conducted an analysis of speed based on linear momentum.  Using scientifically supported formulas and the weights of both vehicles, he determined that the F-150 was traveling at 71 mph, assuming the Toyota was traveling at 30 mph.

Detective P. later obtained search warrants and imaged the airbag control modules from both vehicles.  The image showed that the Toyota was traveling at a steady speed of 39 mph for 4 seconds prior to deployment and had slowed to 30 mph when the airbag deployment event was recorded.  This evidence corroborated the speed Detective P. used in the momentum analysis.

An image was also obtained from Martinez Lazo’s F-150, which showed that he was traveling at a speed of 75 miles per hour for 4 seconds prior to deployment and slowed to 73 mph when the airbag deployment event was recorded.  This is more than twice the posted speed limit for this residential street.

                All events occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland.