A driver who hit a piece of furniture on Interstate 270 on Tuesday was struck and killed after getting out of her vehicle, Maryland State Police say.
The woman's SUV was among several vehicles to hit the piece of furniture, believed to be a chair, in the northbound lanes near I-370 in Montgomery County, police said. It happened about 10:30 a.m.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Police identified the victim as 34-year-old Kelly Elizabeth Vanaman, of Frederick, Maryland.
After striking the furniture, Vanaman stopped on the left shoulder and got out of her Nissan Rogue, police said. Police earlier said she was checking her vehicle for damage, but later said she was walking toward another driver when she was struck. That other driver was also parked in the shoulder but had managed to avoid hitting the same debris, police said.
According to a preliminary investigation, police say, Vanaman was struck by a Toyota Corolla driven by a man who swerved while trying to avoid other cars that had slowed down at the scene. The Toyota struck the left jersey wall before hitting Vanaman, police said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Vanaman was declared dead at the scene, police said.
The driver of the Toyota was taken to a hospital.
A badly damaged sedan and an SUV were seen on the left shoulder of the road near what appeared to be an overturned blue armchair, Chopper4 footage shows.
Police didn’t give details about the furniture or how it may have ended up on the road.
The crash remains under investigation.
All lanes were closed as Maryland State Police diverted traffic around the crash. A mile-long backup formed. Officers directed traffic onto Shady Grove Road, authorities said.
Stay with News4 for more on this developing story
