Gaithersburg, MD – A Frederick man died following a two-vehicle collision in the 24000 block of Ridge Road outside of Damascus.
The victim has been identified as 67-year-old Harold Christopher Christner.
At approximately 7:22 a.m. on Saturday, August. 8, 2026, Montgomery County Department of Police 5th District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel were dispatched to the 24000 block of Ridge Road for the report of a serious collision.
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Upon arrival, officers located a gray 2023 Ford Transit van and a black 2024 Chrysler Pacifica with significant damage. Christner, a restrained second-row passenger in the Chrysler Pacifica, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation determined that the Ford Transit van was traveling northbound on Ridge Road while the Chrysler Pacifica was traveling southbound. The vehicles collided approximately 440 feet north of Hawkes Road.
The circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation.
The driver of the Ford Transit and the four remaining occupants of the Chrysler Pacifica, three adults and one child, were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. No alcohol or drug impairment is suspected at this time.
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The Montgomery County Department of Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the collision. The investigation may take several weeks to months to complete.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact Collision Reconstruction Unit detectives at crunit@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-773-6620.
Read the original article at mcgov
