Annapolis, MD – On August 12, 2026 an Anne Arundel County jury found Lorraine Marie O’Neill, age 68, of Hagerstown, MD guilty of Neglect of a Minor in connection with the death of her 7- year-old grandson. The verdict was returned following a four-day trial in Circuit Court. The Honorable Judge Ginina Jackson-Stevenson scheduled sentencing for October 2, 2026. Neglect of a Minor is a misdemeanor offense that carries a maximum penalty of five years’ incarceration and/or a $5,000 fine.
Following the jury’s verdict, State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess commented, “This case is a tragic reminder that adults must remain vigilant when children are in their care. While this was undoubtedly a traumatic loss for this grandmother, it was likewise traumatic for the witnesses at the scene that night, including the first responders and the two men who pulled the child from the roadway. This defendant travelled eleven miles north on I-97 after the child fell from the vehicle before she realized her grandson was not inside the car. I believe that Ms. O’Neill has failed to accept responsibility for her actions, from the night of the crash to her testimony at trial which was markedly different from her original statements to investigators. This case has always been about accountability for the death of a child.”
On the evening of November 24, 2024, Lorraine O’Neill was driving northbound on I-97 in Millersville in a 2011 Mazda 3. Her 7-year-old grandson was riding in a car seat in the rear passenger side of the vehicle. As she was traveling near I-97 and Benfield Boulevard, the child fell out of the vehicle’s rear passenger window, landing in the roadway, and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. At approximately 7:00 pm, Troopers with the Maryland State Police were dispatched for a reported pedestrian lying in the roadway at I-97 near Benfield Boulevard. Anne Arundel County Fire and EMS responders pronounced the child deceased at the scene. The defendant told police she noticed the child was missing from his car seat in the area of I-695 and Route 2, so she pulled over at the nearest gas station. The distance between where the child fell out of the vehicle and where she stopped was approximately 11 miles. O’Neill told investigators that she allowed the child to play with the cars rear power window and that the windows child lock was not engaged on the night of the incident.
The State was represented by Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Rabb. The investigation was led by Senior Trooper Gregory Bunger and the Maryland State Police CRASH Team.