Police say a 20-year-old was drunk when his vehicle struck the car of a Virginia family, killing them all.
The accident happened at 11 a.m. in Winchester, on a northbound ramp exiting Route 11 and Route 81.
Frederick County Sheriff's Office said Amanda Rowe, 31, had stopped her 1994 Jeep Cherokee at a red traffic light. In the car with her was her husband, Mark, 49, and her two children, Tyler, 4, and Caleb, 11. Police said the family was from Stevenson.
Police said that Steven Andrew Boyce, 20, was driving a 1985 Chevy pickup that rear-ended the Rowe family's stopped vehicle. A gas tank ruptured as a result of the impact, according to authorities, and the vehicle burst into flames. Police said all four in the Jeep died as a result of the impact and the fire.
Police charged Boyce with driving under the influence, underage possession of alcohol, and vehicular manslaughter.
Frederick law enforcement was familiar with Boyce from past incidents. On June 4, he was arrested for underage possession of alcohol and assault on a family member.
In January 2010, he was arrested for obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct. He was rearrested in February 2010 for violating pretrial services.
