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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — In the early hours of Saturday, July 5, 2025, tragedy struck on Interstate 270 when two vehicles collided head-on in a violent and deadly crash. The accident, which occurred shortly before 3:00 a.m., claimed the lives of Ashley Salazar, 25, of Clarksburg, and Jeremy De La Torre, 33, of Frederick, two young Maryland residents whose lives ended in an instant, under circumstances that continue to raise painful questions.

According to the Montgomery County Police Department, the collision was caused by a wrong-way vehicle—a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze driven by Salazar, who for reasons still unknown, was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-270. Heading north at the time was De La Torre, driving a Honda Accord.

Both were killed on impact. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

In the aftermath, investigators are left combing through wreckage, surveillance footage, toxicology reports, and forensic data, trying to determine why Salazar was driving the wrong way and how the collision unfolded so quickly and lethally. The highway was shut down for several hours, while accident reconstruction experts worked to measure skid marks, photograph debris fields, and calculate trajectories in an attempt to piece together what words cannot explain.

What remains now is a community in mourning, two families shattered, and a renewed call for answers and safety reform.


Two Lives, Two Communities, One Devastating Collision

The loss of Ashley Salazar and Jeremy De La Torre has sent shockwaves through the towns of Clarksburg and Frederick—two Maryland communities separated by miles but now bound by grief.

Ashley Salazar, at just 25, was still forging her path in life. Friends describe her as “quiet, determined, and deeply loyal.” She had grown up in Clarksburg and attended area schools. Her recent years were spent working, helping her family, and contemplating her next steps—whether in education, career, or travel. That journey ended abruptly on I-270 in the early hours of a summer morning.

Jeremy De La Torre, 33, was a Frederick resident known for his work ethic and easy smile. “He was the guy everyone called when they needed help,” said a neighbor. Jeremy had built a modest but proud life, commuting for work, taking care of his family, and dreaming—according to a friend—of opening his own business someday. That dream, too, was cut short.

What makes the collision all the more tragic is that both were alone, headed in opposite directions, possibly unaware until the very last second of what was coming. There was no road rage, no chase, no distraction from passengers. Just a moment—a single trajectory gone wrong.


The Wrong-Way Tragedy: A Deadly Pattern Emerges

Wrong-way crashes are among the most feared types of collisions, largely due to the physics of head-on impacts at high speeds. Despite accounting for only a fraction of overall crashes, wrong-way collisions are up to 30 times more likely to result in death, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

In this case, Ashley Salazar’s Cruze was heading south in the northbound lanes, a detail that still raises unanswered questions:

  • How did she enter the highway in the wrong direction?

  • Were entrance ramp signs or markings unclear or obstructed?

  • Was there any indication of impairment, disorientation, or medical emergency?

Police have yet to confirm if alcohol or drugs were involved. Toxicology results are pending, and investigators are working with nearby surveillance cameras to trace her path leading up to the collision.

But the reality is this: Salazar may have been traveling in the wrong direction for miles, with no opportunity for correction. Once on a divided highway like I-270, especially during low-traffic hours, drivers rarely realize their mistake until it is too late.


I-270 at Night: Risks Amplified in the Dark

Interstate 270 is one of Maryland’s busiest highways by day—linking the tech corridor of Montgomery County to the outer reaches of Frederick and beyond. But by 2:45 a.m., the road becomes a very different place: sparse traffic, dim lighting in some stretches, and decreased visibility for oncoming hazards.

Experts say that late-night hours—especially between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.—are when fatigue, drowsiness, and impairment reach their peak levels. It’s also when wrong-way crashes are most likely to occur.

Montgomery County officials confirmed that no other vehicles were involved, and there is no evidence that either driver attempted evasive maneuvers—likely due to the sheer suddenness of the impact. At interstate speeds, two vehicles colliding head-on can result in a combined force exceeding 100 miles per hour.

Police shut down all northbound lanes for several hours. The scene was cleared by late morning, but the road carried more than just traffic when it reopened. It carried memory—and mourning.


Who Was at Fault? A Complex Question

As the investigation unfolds, public discourse has inevitably turned to questions of responsibility. Salazar was driving the wrong way—that fact is not in dispute. But the reasons why remain unclear.

It’s possible that road signage was insufficient, or that ramp design flaws contributed. Some past wrong-way crashes in the region have revealed outdated or poorly lit signage as contributing factors.

But even in the absence of impairment or fatigue, simple confusion at poorly marked interchanges can send a driver onto the wrong side of a highway without realizing it.

If impairment is confirmed, advocates will likely renew calls for:

  • Improved late-night DUI enforcement

  • Ramp design overhauls

  • Wrong-way driver detection systems, which use radar to alert both drivers and police in real time

But if no impairment is found, the debate becomes harder—and sadder. It becomes a story of a single, irreversible mistake, one that cost two lives, not one.


Loved, Remembered, and Gone Too Soon

Both families have remained largely private since the tragedy. But early tributes from friends and relatives have begun to appear online.

“She had the kind of smile that made you feel better about your own day,” one friend wrote about Salazar. “Ashley was still figuring things out, but she never gave up. She deserved more time.”

For De La Torre, the sentiments are similar: “He was always the first to volunteer, always the one who’d drop what he was doing to help someone. Jeremy was full of ideas—he was building something good.”

Neither family has released public funeral information, and grief counselors are reportedly supporting relatives and close friends.


Calls for Safety: What Can Be Done?

This crash has renewed attention on the persistent dangers of wrong-way driving—an issue that federal safety boards have studied for decades but still struggle to solve.

Among the most frequently proposed solutions:

  • “Do Not Enter” signs mounted lower and lit by LED

  • CCTV and sensor systems that alert dispatchers to wrong-way motion

  • More visible pavement arrows, especially at entrance ramps

Montgomery County and the Maryland Department of Transportation are expected to review the signage and ramp design near the scene of the crash. It’s not yet confirmed whether previous wrong-way incidents have occurred at that location.


The Human Cost

Statistics cannot capture the human cost of this tragedy. Two vehicles. Two people. One moment. And a ripple effect that will touch dozens of lives for years to come.

Friends must grapple with the void. Families must plan services instead of reunions. And two Maryland towns—Clarksburg and Frederick—must mourn and remember.

For commuters passing the crash site on I-270, the horror may already be fading into traffic reports. But for those who knew Ashley Salazar and Jeremy De La Torre, the pain is just beginning.

They are not footnotes. They are not headlines. They are lives lost too soon, on a road too familiar, in a moment too cruel.