The accused has been charged by the Carroll County Grand Jury.
Darius Deontae Bond after his apprehension in Frederick County in January 2025
(Image courtesy of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office)
Westminster, Md (KM) A man from Baltimore has been charged in relation to a fatal hit-and-run incident that occurred in Taneytown last year. On Thursday, February 27, 2025, Darius Deontae Bond, 19, was indicted by the Carroll County Grand Jury on charges of hit and run resulting in death, theft between $25,000 and $100,000, and driving without a license. The first two charges are classified as felonies, while the third is a misdemeanor.
On August 20, 2024, at approximately 4:30 AM, emergency services were summoned to the 2700 block of Francis Scott Key Highway due to a vehicle crash. Upon their arrival, first responders discovered an abandoned black Infiniti QX60 SUV, which had been reported stolen from Baltimore. According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Infiniti had collided with a yellow Harley Davidson motorcycle operated by Terry Crowl, 55, of Taneytown, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators found that the two people inside the SUV had fled the scene on foot. Additionally, they discovered that a white box truck had been stolen during the night from a residence near the accident site.
“Following thorough interviews, forensic examination, and DNA evidence collected from the scene, Darius Deontae Bond was identified as the driver of the vehicle that struck and killed Terry Crowl,” stated Carroll County Sheriff Jim Dewees during a press briefing on Tuesday to inform the public about the case.
Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker, present at the press conference, mentioned that a warrant had been issued by the Circuit Court in Carroll County, leading to Bond’s transfer from Frederick County on Monday. He is currently held without bond.
“In our judicial system, individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Shoemaker emphasized. “However, we are confident that we have a remarkably strong case.”
Jim Staller, a relative of victim Terry Crowl, also spoke at the news conference, expressing frustration: “Experiencing a tragic event like this leads one to feel an immense sense of frustration. Dealing with a system that appears to favor criminals is extremely disheartening,” he remarked.
A second individual who was in the SUV with Bond at the time of the fatal incident has not yet been charged, according to Sheriff Dewees.
By Kevin McManus