15-Year-Old Girl Killed, Sister Critically Hurt in Charles County Crash

A 15-year-old high school student from Waldorf, Maryland, has died and her sister is still fighting for her life after a crash on New Year's Eve.

Zeyneb Mourtaj was killed late Monday afternoon in the crash on St. Charles Parkway. The Charles County Sheriff's Office said Mourtaj's sister, 21-year-old Nadia Mourtaj, was driving a Mercury Milan northbound on St. Charles Parkway just north of St. Marks Drive when it started skidding, went off the road and struck a tree.

"The car started swerving and we didn't have any control over the car," said the sisters' cousin 18-year-old Meklit Teclehaimanot. She was riding in the passenger seat and survived the crash.

"I remember it was like going into the trees and that's the last thing I remember," Teclehaimanot said.

Nadia Mourtaj remains in critical condition at the hospital.

Zeyneb Mourtaj was in the backseat of the car.

Zeyneb was an accomplished freshman at North Point High School in Waldorf and was involved in student government and the school's Construction Design Management Program, according to a letter Principal Daniel Kaple sent to students.

The ninth-grade student was also a member of the Charles County Association of Student Councils.

"Zeyneb was a really excellent student. She had a 4.0, straight As. Same with Nadia," Teclehaimanot said.

Nadia Mourtaj is a senior at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.

The sheriff's office said Thursday that in the past five years it has investigated 26 crashes on the half-mile stretch of road on St. Charles Parkway where Zeyneb Mourtaj died.

Residents in the area say the curve in that section of road is particularly dangerous.

"I’ve seen a guy on a motorcycle one time actually just get hit and wound up in the parking lot," said Sean Dortch, who owns a shoe repair shop that faces St. Charles Parkway.

Jeremiah Hart told News4 he survived a crash five months ago on the parkway and he almost died after his skull was fractured.

"I was driving along. I noticed the light was red. I hit the brake as fast as I could to slow down and just all of a sudden my car slid into all of the traffic," Hart said.

Authorities said a traffic safety committee will investigate the St. Charles Parkway more closely and consider making changes.