Members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Operations Unit are investigating a single vehicle car crash that killed three people. On December 26 at 12:54 a.m., a Mercedes-Benz passenger car was traveling southbound on Rosehill Road just past Hawthorne Road in La Plata when the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree, causing the car to catch on fire. A man and his 15-year-old son were traveling on a nearby road and observed the fire, which was about 30 feet in the woods. They drove to the area to investigate. When they realized the fire was the result of a crash, they immediately got out of their car to help. They observed the driver on the ground outside of the car and pulled him toward the roadway, away from the fully engulfed car. Firefighters extinguished the flames and discovered two passengers deceased inside the vehicle. The driver, Eric La Mont Moss, 28, of La Plata, was flown to Med Star Hospital Center, but died as a result of his injuries. Investigators are working to positively identify the passengers. Cpl. K. Syvertsen of the Traffic Operations Unit is investigating.

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.      

Diane Richardson

Media Relations

Charles County Sheriff’s Office