Frederick man charged in fatal Poolesville hit-and-run after resident tip
Montgomery County police say a resident’s tip helped investigators identify a Frederick man accused of leaving the scene after a crash that killed 27-year-old Dakota Joseph Grimsby.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW
Dakota Joseph Grimsby, 27, of Poolesville died after being struck early Sunday. The crash happened around 1:51 a.m. near Fisher Avenue and Milford Mill Road. Police say the vehicle left the scene. Investigators recovered debris pointing to a 2020-2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 or 3500. Police distributed flyers seeking information. A Poolesville resident’s tip helped investigators identify Travis Edward Lowe, 26, of Frederick. Detectives found a white Chevrolet Silverado with front-end damage at a Frederick business. Lowe was arrested Monday. He faces a charge of failure to return and remain at a collision involving death and related traffic offenses. The investigation remains active.
A tip from a Poolesville resident helped investigators identify a Frederick man accused of leaving the scene after a pedestrian was fatally struck early Sunday, according to Montgomery County police.
Travis Edward Lowe, 26, of Frederick, was arrested Monday in connection with the crash that killed Dakota Joseph Grimsby, 27, of Poolesville. Lowe is charged with failure to return and remain at a collision involving death along with related traffic offenses.
The collision happened at approximately 1:51 a.m. Sunday near Fisher Avenue and Milford Mill Road in Poolesville.
Investigators said Grimsby was struck near 19630 Fisher Avenue. The vehicle involved allegedly left the scene and continued west on Fisher Avenue toward Elgin Road.
Grimsby suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital, where he later died.
The investigation quickly focused on physical evidence left behind at the scene.
Detectives with the Montgomery County Police Collision Reconstruction Unit recovered vehicle debris that indicated the vehicle involved could have been a 2020 through 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 or 3500 pickup truck.
Investigators then distributed flyers throughout the Poolesville area asking residents for information.
Police said that outreach produced a critical lead.
A resident contacted investigators with information that helped identify Lowe as a possible suspect. Detectives later located a white Chevrolet Silverado with front-end damage at a business in Frederick and identified Lowe as the driver connected to the collision, according to police.
Lowe was arrested in Frederick County and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he was awaiting a bond hearing Monday.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate the crash.
Police cautioned that completing a fatal collision investigation can take several weeks or even months, meaning additional investigative findings could emerge as detectives review physical evidence and reconstruct the sequence of events.
The case also highlights the role community information can play in investigations.
In this instance, police say debris recovered at the scene narrowed the search to a particular type of pickup truck, while information provided by a resident helped investigators connect that evidence to a specific driver.
The charges against Lowe remain allegations.
He has not been convicted, and the case will now move through the court system.
WHAT IT MEANS
The investigation combined physical evidence with information supplied by the public.
Detectives first used debris from the crash scene to identify the likely type of vehicle involved. A resident’s tip then helped police narrow the investigation further, eventually leading them to a damaged Silverado in Frederick.
The criminal charges are still at the allegation stage, and investigators say the full collision reconstruction could take weeks or months to complete.
Original reporting referenced by Everything Frederick:
Shore News Network — Reporting by Chris Quigley →Want more Frederick updates like this?
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