Two Waldorf men were charged Tuesday with manslaughter and reckless driving for their part in an illegal street race that led to the deaths of eight people in February in Accokeek.
A grand jury indicted Darren Jamar Bullock, 21, of Waldorf, the driver who allegedly plowed into the crowd of hundreds watching the 3 a.m. races on Indian Head Highway, as well as Tavon J. Taylor, 18, also of Waldorf, who allegedly was racing against Bullock at the time.
The men were holding an illegal drag race Feb. 16 on state Route 210 when they hit the crowd of spectators watching another match, prosecutors said.
They are being charged with eight counts of vehicular manslaughter, one for each of the dead victims, as well as reckless driving and participating in an illegal speed contest.
‘‘This was a death caused by cars racing up 210,” county State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said at a news conference in Upper Marlboro announcing the indictments. Both Bullock and Taylor were expected to be arrested this week.
The charges come after a six-month investigation into the incident, one of the deadliest motor crashes in the region’s history. Rural roads in southern Maryland have been a frequent gathering spot for racing fans for years, but arrests are rare.
A crowd of about 200 people gathered at Route 210 and Pine Drive that night to watch the cars and drivers, prosecutors said. Witnesses at the scene said two cars kicked up smoke and dust when they pulled away and crowd members moved into the two-lane road to watch the race.
But as that race was running, Bullock and Taylor allegedly were holding a competition of their own up the road, misjudged the distance they would need and came into contact with the crowd on the highway as they decelerated, according to a source familiar with the investigation. While Taylor allegedly was able to avoid spectators, Bullock’s car allegedly struck members of the crowd and swerved into more people when he tried to steer off the highway, the source said.
Taylor was charged in 2007 in Charles County with unsafe passing in his vehicle and speeding, according to court records. Bullock was charged in Charles County in May with unauthorized removal of property and was scheduled for a trial Friday on two charges of theft of less than $500 in a separate case.
Bullock’s attorney did not return a call for comment by press time Tuesday. Taylor could not be located.
Ervin Gardner, 39, of Oxon Hill; Daryl Wills, 38, of Clinton; Maycol Lopez, 20, of Gaithersburg; Otis Williams, 35, of Indian Head; Milton Pinkney, 41, of Aquasco; Blaine Briscoe, 49, of La Plata; William Gaines, 61, of Nanjemoy and Mark Courtney, 34, of Leonardtown were killed in the crash.
Eight other spectators were injured.
Witnesses at the race claimed Bullock’s car did not have its headlights on. Organizers allegedly held up the first race until Bullock and Taylor agreed to turn off their headlights to keep from distracting the other racers, the source said, so the men allegedly decided to stage their race in the dark.
‘‘As far as we know, they were looking in the opposite direction, and did not see the cars coming,” said Ivey, who would not provide details on circumstances of the accident.
In Maryland, vehicular manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. To prove their case, prosecutors would have to show that the drivers acted in ‘‘a grossly negligent manner.”
Ivey declined to identify the drivers of the primary race that Bullock and Taylor allegedly drove into, as well as organizers of the gathering. All could potentially face charges in the future.
‘‘I’m not going to rule it out,” said Ivey, who said his prime concern was charging individuals directly involved in the deaths. ‘‘This was the top priority.”
Evidence in the case will likely include security camera footage taken at the Baretta gun factory near the site of the crash. Ivey said that cameras there shot time-lapsed footage of the gathering that will likely be used in court.
Accokeek resident Stan Fetter said ‘‘it’s about time” that the county concluded its investigation.
‘‘I’m glad they’ve finally gotten something. I hope they’re right, and I hope it sticks,” said Fetter, a member of the Indian Head Highway Area Action Council. The council is a collection of civic groups along the highway corridor that has fought to end the illegal street races.
Fetter said he has not heard of races in Accokeek since the February accident.
Investigators interviewed more than 70 people during the investigation, which Ivey said made progress slow at first.
‘‘There’s a certain attachment to street racing in southern Maryland that I admit I did not know about,” he said. ‘‘But people need to understand how dangerous this activity can be.”
Staff Writer Andy Zieminski contributed to this report.
E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.
