MARYLAND STATE POLICE ARREST MAN INVOLVED IN TWO HARFORD COUNTY CRASHES
(Bel Air, MD) – This evening the Maryland State Police have arrested the motorist involved in two Harford County crashes which occurred on Friday, November 7, 2008.
The accused is Christopher H. Lentz, 37, of the 5600-block of Bell Gwynn Road in Glen Arm, Maryland. He is charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter for the crash that occurred at about 5:00 p.m. on Friday which killed two people. These charges can result in a $5000 fine and/or ten years in prison. Additional charges are pending.
Lentz was arrested by Maryland State Police from the Bel Air Barrack at his home at approximately
5:00 p.m. this evening. He was taken to the barracks for processing and then transported to the Harford County central booking center to await an initial appearance before a court commissioner.
And then bail is posted. he’s free as a bird to do it again.
I am sorry but I do not understand why this man was not arrested for the first accident 90 min. earlier. If the police had arrested him, took him in for booking maybe the second accident would of never happened. Thank God in the first accident there was not any lost of lifes, there was a mother and seven children.
This guy was not even going to stop, he kept going, and the only reason he did stop a half mile up the road was because his vehicle was disabled as a result of the collision. And lets add speeding to the charge and even failure to give insurance policy information, and failure to drive right of center of the road !!
Ok that alone is four charge’s and they give him his tickets and let him go on his merry way !! Wow !! I would think that his failure of not stopping immediately and kept going on down the road, is the same as a hit and run !! That charge alone should of been enough to arrest him on !!
And now they are saying he might get a 5000.00 fine and maybe 10 years in jail or both ! That is a slap in the face, to the family who has lost their love ones !!
They say there may be additional charges pending, well lets hope and pray there is, this guy should go to jail for a long time, a very long time ! In my eyes he is getting away with murder, but his weapon of choice was his vehicle !!
Maybe some of you might think I am a little bitter, and yes I am, I am a lot bitter, that could of been my loves ones, or even one of your’s. I am very upset, that he was able to walk away from the first accident and not arrested.
Below is a copy of his first charges for the first accident, but No arrest !!
My prayers are for the family that lost their love ones, I am so sorry !!
Earlier on Friday afternoon, the Maryland State Police charged Christopher Lentz, 37, of the 5600-block of Bell Gwynn Road in Glen Arm, Maryland with the following: failure to drive right of center, failure to immediately stop vehicle at scene of accident, failure of driver involved in accident to give insurance policy information, and failure to control speed to avoid collision. The charges resulted from a crash that troopers from the Bel Air Barrack responded to at approximately 3:30 p.m.
The preliminary investigation reveals that Lentz was operating a 1999 Chevrolet Express van traveling northbound on Route 152, north of Greenspring Avenue in Joppa, Maryland. Lentz reportedly crossed over the center line and sideswiped a 2003 Ford van traveling southbound.
Arrest and a trip to the Commissioner’s Office on traffic charges would have likely just delayed this tragedy by a few minutes. He was driven from the scene, and HE chose to get behind the wheel and drive again.
Even with his history, chances are he’d be recog’d on the traffic, and walking out of the DC in a few minutes with a promise to appear in court.
The truth is, we can’t go back and undo what has been done. Maybe there should be stiffer penalties for the type of accident Lentz caused. That’s an issue for the legislature, not the courts or the police.
If this has finally stirred someone into action, to make long overdue safety upgrades on the Bypass, perhaps it will stir someone in Annapolis to address the issue of law as well.
Frankly it’s not going to matter what law’s are passed. there will always be those few who consider them self’s above the law.as is this incident a repeat offense. the only thing we can be sure of he is in Harford county.
A few dollars for a fine.a couple a day’s in jail maybe & back on the road again. one thing I can say Harford county has some very good lawyer’s. I happen to know a drunk driver. repeat offender 9 times to court& not a day in jail. I think we better take a hard look at the judges.
Now in addition to the appeal hes scheduled for in early Dec, on his other conviction in Balt County, he has this.
I hope the terms run consecutively not concurrently.
Go Dagger !