One of two motorists involved in a fatal crash in a Baltimore work zone in March 2023 has been released from prison after serving three months of an 18-month sentence. Melachi Brown, who pleaded guilty to six counts of vehicular manslaughter earlier this year, will serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
Brown, 20, was traveling northbound in the far left lane of the I-695 Baltimore Beltway next to a barrier-protected left shoulder work zone on March 22, 2023, when his vehicle was hit by another vehicle driven by 54. -old Lisa Adrienna Lea. Maryland State Police investigators say both vehicles were traveling more than 120 mph (more than double the 55 mph posted speed limit for the work zone) before Lea made an unsafe lane change.
The collision caused Lea’s vehicle to go out of control and into a 156-foot opening in the concrete barriers that separate the work zone from the traffic lanes. The vehicle struck five workers with the contractor, Concrete General, Inc., and an inspector from KCI Technologies, Inc., before overturning. All six victims died from their injuries.
In modifying Brown’s sentence, a Baltimore County Circuit Court judge agreed with the attorney’s arguments that Brown had no prior criminal record, was not a flight risk and had taken responsibility for the his part in the incident, which investigators say was not the primary cause of the crash. Brown also claimed that confinement in the hostile environment of the county detention center had exacerbated his pre-existing problems with anxiety and depression.
Lea, who claims she suffered a seizure immediately before the crash, is scheduled to go on trial in November for vehicular manslaughter and impaired driving. His lawyers have claimed he suffered a seizure in the moments before the collision.
The National Transportation Safety Board released the preliminary findings of its investigation late last year, but has yet to issue a final report or safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The incident also spurred the creation of a state task force led by Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) that recommended a number of improvements to work zone safety. The resulting bill, the Maryland Highway Worker Protection Act, was signed into law in April.
