Rockville, Md- Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable David Lease, defendant Liam Coskun, 19, of Darnestown, entered a guilty plea to grossly negligent manslaughter and the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The charges stem from a fatal crash that caused the death of 88-year-old Myrtle Gottlieb and the injury of another victim.
Per the plea agreement, the defendant faces a maximum of 13 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 23, 2026.
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On May 31, 2025, at approximately 8:35 a.m., Coskun, who was not a licensed driver, was operating a 2018 blue Jeep Compass, which he did not have permission to use, when he crashed into a stopped 2017 blue Toyota Corolla at the intersection of Sam Eig Highway and Fields Road in Gaithersburg. An investigation by the Montgomery County Police Collision Reconstruction Unit determined the crash was avoidable and that Coskun failed to stop for a red light before hitting the Toyota from behind. Several hours after the crash, at 11:52 a.m., the defendant consented to an alcohol concentration test, which resulted in a breath alcohol concentration of .09. The female driver of the Toyota was injured. Myrtle Gottlieb, who was a passenger in the Toyota, died from injuries caused by the collision on June 4, 2025.
Assistant State’s Attorney Hannah Gleason is prosecuting this matter.
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