Driver Killed In KFC Wreck Has History of Speeding
Driver Killed In KFC Wreck Has History of Speeding
LANDOVER, Md. (WUSA) -- The woman who died when her car struck a KFC restaurant had a history of speeding, driving on a suspended license, and other traffic violations, court records show.
The driver has been identified as 29-year old Hellena Louise Smith of the 600-block of Chesapeake Ave. in Washington D. C.
Smith's black 1993 BMW sedan careened at high speed off Martin Luther King Highway in Landover and struck a KFC restaurant at the intersection with Sheriff Road at about 6:30 Monday night.
No one inside the restaurant was hurt, but the driver of a parked car that was struck was hospitalized for treatment.
Evidence at the scene suggests Smith may have begun losing control of her car more 200-yards from the KFC after striking a curb. The car sped through a sidewalk bus stop, and the parking lot of a Citgo gas station before going airborne and hitting the restaurant. One wheel from the car detached and left a crater in the side of the KFC at the roof level of the store.
Investigators are trying to determine her speed.
Smith was pulled over by Maryland State Police on January 22nd at 9:30 a.m. in the BMW and accused of speeding at 91 miles per hour on the Inner Loop of the Beltway near the Central Avenue exit. She was also cited for driving on a suspended out of state license and having no current registration for the car.
Earlier in January, she was stopped on Annapolis Road in Prince George's County and cited for expired plates and registration.