Essex Woman Charged in Hit-and-Run Crash

An Essex woman is charged with hit-and-run and other traffic-related charges following a crash in Essex on Jan. 11.

Christina Campbell, 32, of the 600 block of Virginia Avenue in Essex, was charged after leaving the scene of the crash that injured a pedestrian who was attempting to work on a disabled vehicle, according to Lt. Robert McCullough, a spokesman for the Baltimore County Police Department.

Police officers responded to the area of Southeast Boulevard and Turkey Point Road in Essex at about 10 p.m. Friday for a hit-and-run crash.

A gray Ford Windstar van, driven by Lauren Bielanski, 19, of the 300 block of Sassafras Road in Essex, was disabled at the location, according to McCullough.

Bielanski and her passenger, Kwante Betters, 19, of the unit block of Banyan Wood Court in Essex, were outside of the van and looking for jumper cables when Betters saw a red Ford F-150 pickup truck approaching them.

Seeing that the truck was on a route to collide with their disabled van, Betters pushed Bielanski out of the way of the oncoming truck.

Betters and the disabled van were struck by the truck. The impact threw Betters into the westbound lanes of Southeast Boulevard.

The driver of the truck continued westbound on Southeast Boulevard, failing to stop and assist the victims or leave driver information, McCullough said in a statement.

Betters was taken to the University of Maryland's R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. His condition is unknown at this time.

Police later located the Ford truck in the 2300 block of Poplar Road in Essex and determined that Campbell was driving the truck at the time of the collision.

Campbell was issued citations and released in accordance with department policy, McCullough said.