Fatal Crash on North West Avenue
Baltimore police said Friday that a 12-year-old boy was driving a stolen car when it collided with a motorcyclist on Sept. 30. The crash happened around 1 p.m. on North West Avenue. The motorcyclist, 69-year-old Barry Wright of Baltimore County, died at the scene. A 15-year-old girl was riding in the car as a passenger. Wright’s family is now dealing with a loss that began with a vehicle allegedly taken and driven by children. No one expects a tragedy like this when they leave home for the day.
Witnesses Say the Car Ran a Red Light
Police later found the disabled car near North Dukeland Street and West North Avenue. The boy and the girl reportedly got out and tried to run before they were apprehended. Witnesses told WBAL that the car went through a red light before hitting Wright. Trina, who saw the crash, said the motorcyclist was thrown into the air and that debris came toward the corner where she was waiting. Viola Church said she saw an ambulance crew perform CPR and believed there was nothing more they could do. Their accounts describe a collision that was both violent and avoidable.
The Boy Will Face No Criminal Charges
According to WBAL, the 12-year-old will not face criminal charges for the incident. Police instead submitted a Child in Need of Supervision, or CINS, referral and met with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. That department is expected to decide within 15 days what happens next. Possible steps include counseling or court-ordered supervision. The process places the case in the juvenile-services system rather than a criminal court. For Wright’s family, that distinction may feel less like accountability and more like another difficult question left unanswered.
The Passenger Was Charged With Vehicle Theft
The 15-year-old passenger is facing a different outcome. She was arrested and charged with motor vehicle theft and is being held at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center. Church said the children and their parents should be held accountable, while also stressing that the victim did not choose this situation. “You have to keep in mind the victims, he didn’t ask for that,” she told WBAL. Her comment points to the central concern raised by the case: whatever juvenile intervention follows, Wright’s death and the needs of his family cannot be treated as paperwork.
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