District Court Judge Eugene Wolfe exacted a fine of $2000, the maximum penalty under Maryland law, for a guilty plea by Santos Martinez in the death of 42-year-old diplomat Sarah Langenkamp in August of 2022.
Martinez pled guilty to causing a serious injury of death to a vulnerable individual while operating a motor vehicle. Langenkamp was riding her bike southbound on River Road in Bethesda when she was killed. Martinez was operating a flatbed truck and failed to see Langenkamp on the road.
His traffic offense stands as a non-incarcerable offense. In addition to the fine, Martinez must fulfill 150 hours of community service. His driver’s license will also be suspended for a duration to be determined by the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA).
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy shared his thoughts on the tragedy: “Our deepest condolences to the family of Sarah Langenkamp for their immeasurable loss. Current laws in many ways do not give substantial protection to victims struck by vehicles….We share our concerns about keeping our community members safe on the roads.”
