Montgomery County police say a stolen 2015 Kia Optima driven by a 13-year-old and carrying six other children collided with a Toyota Matrix in Germantown, Maryland, early Aug. 4, 2026. The Toyota's driver, 58-year-old William Vance Payne II, was pronounced dead at the scene. All seven juveniles were hospitalized; the 13-year-old is in critical but stable condition. Investigators say the probe could take months and any charges will be decided by the State's Attorney's Office.
13-Year-Old Driving Stolen Car With Six Other Children In Fatal Germantown Crash
Montgomery County Maryland Fire & Rescue Service - PHOTO: Police say seven juveniles between the ages of 12 and 15 were in a white Kia Optima involved in a deadly crash in Germantown, Maryland, on Aug. 4, 2026.
Montgomery County police say a 13-year-old was behind the wheel of a stolen white 2015 Kia Optima carrying six other children when it collided with another vehicle early Tuesday in Germantown, Maryland, leaving one motorist dead and all juveniles injured.
The crash occurred on Aug. 4, 2026, shortly before 5:30 a.m. According to preliminary findings from the Montgomery County Police Department, the Kia — reported stolen from a Germantown residence several hours earlier — was traveling north on a highway when it entered an intersection and struck a blue 2007 Toyota Matrix that was traveling east.
Montgomery County Maryland Fire & Rescue Service - PHOTO: Police say the driver of a blue Toyota Matrix was killed in a crash in Germantown, Maryland, on Aug. 4, 2026.
Fire and rescue crews arrived around 5:25 a.m. and found the Kia overturned with occupants trapped inside. Emergency personnel extricated the children and transported them to area hospitals. The driver of the Toyota, 58-year-old William Vance Payne II of Virginia, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 13-year-old driver of the Kia was taken to a nearby hospital in critical but stable condition. The other six occupants — four girls and two boys, all aged between 12 and 15 — were also hospitalized with injuries described by police as ranging in severity.
Montgomery County Maryland Fire & Rescue Service - PHOTO: Police say seven juveniles between the ages of 12 and 15 were in a white Kia Optima involved in a deadly crash in Germantown, Maryland, on Aug. 4, 2026.
Investigation Underway
Authorities said the collision caused significant damage to both vehicles. Investigators cautioned that their account is preliminary and that a full probe into the sequence of events and contributing factors could take months to complete.
Police statement: "Any charges related to the collision will be at the discretion of the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office after the evidence is presented to them."
Montgomery County officials urged anyone with information or dash-cam footage from the area to contact the police department as the investigation continues.
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