Boyds man pleads guilty in drunk driving collision that killed Germantown woman
Brody Richardson, 20, faces up to 7 years in prison per his plea agreement
By
Elia GriffinAugust 7, 2026 11:17 a.m.
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A Boyds man pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville on Wednesday to charges related to a fatal rollover collision in Germantown in July 2025 that killed a 71-year-old woman, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The woman, Mary Elizabeth Moody, of Germantown, died after her Subaru was struck by a Mazda driven by Brody Richardson, 20, at the intersection of Great Seneca Highway and Mateny Road, a Thursday statement from the state’s attorney’s office said.
According to prosecutors, Richardson, who was 19 at the time, had been drinking alcohol on the night of the crash and driving at speeds of more than 90 mph in a 55-mph zone.
At a hearing on Wednesday, Richardson entered a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to one count of gross negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle and homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol per se, according to the state’s attorney’s office. Both charges are felonies.
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Under the plea agreement, Richardson faces up to seven years in prison, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Andrew Jezic, Richardson’s attorney, did not immediately respond to Bethesda Today’s phone call request for comment on Thursday afternoon.
Richardson is expected to be sentenced at a hearing scheduled for Oct. 30, according to court records.
According to a July 2025 obituary, Moody was one of four siblings and had six nieces and nephews and 11 great-nieces and nephews. Moody was a teacher and had a decades-long career in classrooms at Archbishop Neale School in La Plata and Dundalk Middle School in Baltimore. She taught language arts.
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Moody was remembered as “sunshine personified – she brought warmth, humor, and joy to every room she entered,” her obituary said. “A generous listener and an animated storyteller – with the memory of an elephant – Mary made the people in her life feel seen, heard, and deeply loved.”
According to the obituary, Moody loved music, baking, reading and traveling and had planned a trip to Greece for the fall of 2025.
The night of the collision
The collision occurred around 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of Great Seneca Highway and Mateny Road, according to Richardson’s charging documents. At the time of the collision, Moody was turning left from southbound Great Seneca Highway onto Mateny Road when Richardson’s Mazda struck the passenger side of Moody’s car.
Vehicle data and scene analysis showed that Richardson was traveling at a speed of 94 mph as he approached the intersection where the crash occurred, according to county police.
During the collision, Moody was ejected from the vehicle and her car rolled over, charging documents said. Moody was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Responding officers at the crash scene “observed that Richardson had slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, and was unable to stand up straight without swaying,” charging documents state. In addition, an officer detected alcohol on Richardson’s breath as he stood outside his Mazda after the collision.
Richardson, who was injured in the collision, was transported by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews to a hospital after the incident, documents state.
While at the hospital, a county police officer noticed signs of impairment in Richardson and conducted a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, according to charging documents. Richardson told the officer he had consumed three beers and cannabis at the Travilah Beer & Wine store that evening.
When Richardson failed to perform tasks in the field sobriety test, the officer obtained a blood sample from him to test the blood alcohol concentration, documents state. Analysis of the blood sample by the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division showed Richardson had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.20 on the night of the crash. The legal limit for someone 21 or older is 0.08.
Investigators later obtained video surveillance footage from the Travilah Beer & Wine store from the night of the crash, according to charging documents. In the video, Richardson was seen consuming five beers from 6:57 p.m. to 10:17 p.m.
In early January, Richardson surrendered to police on an outstanding warrant, according to county police. After his arrest, Richardson was released from jail on a $10,000 unsecured personal bond, according to online court records.
Two employees of the beer and wine store pleaded guilty to selling alcoholic beverages to an underage person and are pending sentencing, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine