Two Drivers Killed in Head-On Wrong-Way Crash on I-95 in Howard County, Police Say

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November 8, 2026, at 5 a.m. Central time (6 a.m. Eastern).

Two men were killed early Saturday morning in a violent head-on, wrong-way collision on Interstate 95 in Howard County, Maryland, the Maryland State Police announced.

The crash occurred shortly before 4:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes of I-95 near the 44-mile marker in Elkridge, according to preliminary findings from the Waterloo Barrack. Investigators said a 2025 Jeep Gladiator was traveling southbound in the northbound direction when it collided head-on with a northbound 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Both drivers, who were the sole occupants of their vehicles, suffered catastrophic injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel from the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, The Baltimore Sun reported.

How the crash unfolded

State police identified the driver of the wrong-way Jeep Gladiator as Taleb Ait Zakariae, 37, of Rosedale, Maryland. The driver of the oncoming Jeep Grand Cherokee was identified as Timothy Summerville Jr., 47, of Baltimore.

According to 911 dispatch logs, state police received multiple emergency calls reporting a vehicle traveling the wrong way at high speed on northbound I-95 near the Route 100 interchange. Moments after the initial dispatch, troopers were notified that a head-on impact had occurred in lane one, the far-left travel lane.

The force of the collision caused significant front-end destruction to both SUVs, scattering debris across all four northbound lanes and forcing trailing vehicles to brake sharply to avoid secondary impacts, according to accounts reported by FOX 5 DC.

Investigators cite speed and alcohol

The Maryland State Police Crash Team assumed control of the ongoing investigation, conducting laser-mapping and forensic reconstruction of the roadway. In an official briefing, investigators stated that both excessive speed and alcohol impairment are suspected to have played a significant role in causing the crash.

Troopers are working to determine where and how the Gladiator entered the highway traveling against traffic. Investigators are reviewing highway surveillance camera footage from the Maryland Department of Transportation and looking into Zakariae’s activities leading up to the collision.

Official autopsies and toxicology screenings have been requested from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. State police emphasized that full investigative findings will take several weeks to finalize.

Highway shut down for hours

The fatal wreck resulted in extensive travel disruptions across the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Maryland State Police and Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration personnel closed all northbound lanes of I-95 between Route 100 and Interstate 895 for approximately six hours on Saturday morning.

Traffic was diverted onto Route 1 and Route 29 while emergency crews conducted debris removal, fuel containment, and scene documentation. Northbound lanes were fully reopened shortly before 10:30 a.m., authorities said.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the vehicles prior to the collision is urged to contact troopers at the Maryland State Police Waterloo Barrack at (410) 799-2101.

Incident timeline

All times are Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Source: Maryland State Police Waterloo Barrack.

1. 4:24 a.m. Multiple 911 callers report a Jeep traveling southbound in northbound lanes of I-95 near Route 100.
2. 4:28 a.m. Head-on collision occurs in the far-left lane near mile marker 44 in Elkridge.
3. 4:36 a.m. First responders from Howard County Fire and Rescue arrive on scene; both drivers are pronounced dead.
4. 4:45 a.m. Maryland State Police close all northbound lanes of I-95 and issue traffic detour advisories.
5. 7:15 a.m. The MSP Crash Team completes preliminary roadway laser measurements and vehicle inspections.
6. 10:25 a.m. Highway crews clear residual fluids and debris; all travel lanes on northbound I-95 reopen to traffic.

Where the crash occurred

The star marks the approximate section of Interstate 95 near mile marker 44 in Elkridge, Howard County, Maryland.

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Sources and visual credits

Maryland State Police Newsroom · The Baltimore Sun · FOX 5 DC News · CBS News Baltimore · Maryland State Police on X.

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