Maryland grandma found guilty in death of 7-year-old grandson after fatal I-97 fall

Lorraine Marie O’Neill of Hagerstown was convicted Wednesday, August 12, following a four-day trial in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. She was found guilty of one count of Neglect of a Minor, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.

A Maryland jury has found a 68-year-old grandmother guilty of neglecting her 7-year-old grandson, who fell from her moving car and was struck and killed on Interstate 97 in Anne Arundel County in November 2024.

The tragedy occurred on the evening of November 24, 2024, as O’Neill drove northbound on I-97 in Millersville with her grandson allegedly secured in a car seat in the rear passenger seat of her 2011 Mazda 3.

Near Benfield Boulevard, the boy fell through the vehicle’s rear passenger-side window and landed on the interstate. An approaching vehicle struck him, and Anne Arundel County Fire and EMS personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

According to prosecutors, O’Neill continued driving for approximately 11 miles before realizing that her grandson was no longer in the vehicle. She eventually stopped at a gas station near I-695 and Route 2.

Investigators said O’Neill told police that she had allowed the boy to play with the car’s rear power window and that the window’s child safety lock was not activated.

Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said the case underscored the responsibility adults have when children are in their care.

“This case is a tragic reminder that adults must remain vigilant when children are in their care,” Leitess said following the verdict, noting that the death was also traumatic for first responders and two men who pulled the child from the roadway.

Leitess also accused O’Neill of failing to accept responsibility, pointing to what prosecutors described as significant differences between her original statements to investigators and her testimony at trial.

The case was investigated by Maryland State Police Senior Trooper Gregory Bunger and the agency’s CRASH Team. Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Rabb prosecuted the case. O’Neill is scheduled to be sentenced October 2, 2026.

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(Sources: Office of the State’s Attorney, Anne Arundel County, CBS News Baltimore, Fox News Baltimore, ABC News Baltimore)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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