Arrest made in Abingdon hit and run where woman was left seriously injured

On February 13, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) announced charging Lebogang-Ram Motshabi, 25, of Abingdon, with multiple crimes in connection with a hit and run that occurred in Abingdon on Monday.

On February 10 around 9:00 a.m., a passerby found a local woman lying in a ditch on S. Tollgate Road at Aiken Terrance in Abingdon. The female victim was badly injured. Deputies on scene rendered emergency care and prepared the victim to be transported to a trauma center by Maryland State Police Medivac helicopter.

The initial investigation indicated the victim had been struck by a vehicle. The impact caused the woman to land off the roadway. Items that the victim was carrying were found near the point of impact. Specially trained Deputies from the HCSO Traffic Unit Crash Team responded to determine the cause of the crash and identify the hit and run driver responsible.

Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division and Forensics Services Unit also responded to the scene to collect and document evidence and assist in the search for the striking vehicle.

During the course of the investigation, information was developed from a citizen that helped narrow down the search area. On February 11, a deputy from the Traffic Unit located a vehicle on Logan Circle with damage consistent with having struck the victim. The investigation of the suspect vehicle resulted in Motshabi being identified as the operator of the vehicle at the time of impact.

Motshabi was arrested, transported to a District Court Commissioner for his initial appearance. and charged with:

• failure to immediately return and remain at the scene of an accident involving bodily injury,
• failure to report to the nearest police,
• driving motor vehicle without a license , and
• driving an uninsured vehicle.

Motshabi was released from the Harford County Detention Center on the morning of February 12, 2025, on $5,000 bail.

The investigation thus far indicates that at approximately 5:57 p.m. on February 9, 2025, the victim, identified as Amaya Marie Martise, 21, of Abingdon, was returning from Walmart, walking along Tollgate Road. It is believed Martise was struck by Motshabi around that same time. Martise was located by a passerby the next morning. Her injuries were severe and she remains hospitalized in serious condition.

According to weather.com, on the night of February 9, 2025, the temperature in Abingdon, Maryland, dropped to a low of 29°F. It was partly cloudy in the evening, becoming cloudy after midnight with light and variable winds.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office extended their deepest gratitude to the community for their cooperation and support, adding, “we encourage anyone with additional information related to this crash to come forward and contact Corporal Shane Fraser of our Special Operations Division; Traffic Unit at 443-409-3511.”

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(Source and Lebogang-Ram Motshabi booking photo: HCSO)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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