Gaithersburg, MD – A Virginia man has been identified as the victim of a fatal two-vehicle collision involving a stolen Kia Optima at the intersection of Clopper Road and Great Seneca Highway in Germantown.
At approximately 5:25 a.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Montgomery County Department of Police 5th District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel were dispatched to the intersection for the report of a serious collision.
Upon arrival, officers located both vehicles with extensive damage.
William Vance Payne, II, the driver of the 2007 Toyota Matrix, sustained fatal injuries. The 58-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Advertisement
The preliminary investigation determined that a white 2015 Kia Optima, which had been reported stolen out of Germantown several hours after the collision, was traveling northbound on Great Seneca Highway when it entered the intersection and struck the eastbound Toyota Matrix on Clopper Road.
The Kia was occupied by seven juveniles ranging in age from 12 to 15-years-old, including four girls, ages 14, 14, 13 and 12, and three boys, ages 15, 13 and 12.
The driver of the Kia, a 13-year-old male, was transported to an area hospital in critical but stable condition. The other juvenile occupants were transported to several area trauma centers.
Advertisement
The Montgomery County Department of Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the collision. The investigation may take several weeks to months to complete.
Any charges related to the collision will be at the discretion of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office after the evidence is presented to them.
Read the original article at mcgov