Cocaine, alcohol found in Germantown driver after fatal 2022 collision, police allege

Jose Antonio Garcia, 45, was recently charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide

January 12, 2024 3:56 p.m.

Jose Antonio Garcia, 45, of Germantown was arrested and charged in a two-car fatal collision in 2022, Montgomery County Police said on Thursday.

Garcia was driving a blue 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Frederick Road in Germantown on  Oct. 15, 2022, according to the police report. Around 11:13 p.m., he attempted to turn the Jeep left onto Plummer Drive and it hit a silver 2006 Ford F-250 traveling southbound on Frederick Road, according to charging documents.

Jose Vidal Urias Beltran, 30, of Germantown, a passenger in the Jeep, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

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Garcia’s license had been suspended multiple times since 2009 for drinking under the influence of alcohol and other offenses, and his license has been suspended since 2017, according to charging documents.

Responding officers noticed that he smelled strongly of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes, and later blood testing confirmed that he had consumed alcohol, charging documents indicated. Cocaine was also detected in his system during testing, charging documents said.

On Dec. 23, Garcia was arrested and charged with manslaughter, negligent homicide and other traffic-related offenses, police said. The traffic offenses from the incident include driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to yield the right of away on a left turn and driving his vehicle on a revoked and suspended license, charging documents stated.

According to digital court records, Garcia is being represented by a public defender, and Maryland’s Office of the Public Defender did not respond to a request for comment.

Garcia is currently being held without bond, and his trial is scheduled to begin on Feb. 15, according to digital court records.

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