Two Killed After Car Hits Tractor-Trailer on Route 301 in Brandywine

A Brandywine man and a passenger were killed just before midnight Monday when their Nissan Maxima struck the rear of a Freightliner tractor-trailer on southbound U.S. Route 301 at Brandywine Road, Maryland State Police said.

The crash was reported at approximately 11:58 p.m. on March 9. Investigators said both the Nissan and the Freightliner were traveling south on Route 301 when the Nissan rammed into the back of the truck.

The Nissan's driver, Douglas Orlando Smith, 39, of Brandywine, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the car was also pronounced dead. That person's name has not been released, pending next-of-kin notification, according to Maryland State Police. The tractor-trailer driver was not injured.

Southbound lanes on Route 301 were shut down for approximately five hours while crash investigators worked the scene. The stretch of highway, which cuts through southern Prince George's County and sees heavy commercial truck traffic, remained closed into the early morning hours of March 10.

Maryland State Police said the investigation remains active and ongoing. What led the Nissan to strike the rear of the truck has not been determined, and officials have not released information about speed, impairment, or mechanical failure as potential factors.