A fatal hit-and-run takes North Capitol death count to eight in two years

On Sunday, May 31st, a driver speeding down North Capitol Street struck another vehicle, then fled the scene on foot. Despite heroic rescue efforts from neighbors who helped suppress the resultant fire and pull the two victims from their car, neither ultimately survived.

One victim was Donald Malloy, 81, of Temple Hills, Maryland, while the other has not yet been identified. The driver was subsequently found, arrested, and charged with second-degree murder the following day.

These deaths continue a tragic trend; since September 2018 there have now been eight fatalities on the corridor.

A common thread has been that these fatal crashes have generally occurred at off-peak hours, when a lower volume of traffic on the wide streets invites excessive speeding.

Prior to the pandemic, that meant during late-night or early morning hours. But the current situation has extended those high-speed conditions to twenty-four hours a day, and made North Capitol Street a perpetual race track.

Plans to improve safety conditions along the corridor, particularly for pedestrians, are still outstanding. In March, a coalition including more than 20 ANCs, community organizations, and businesses sent a letter to the District Department of Transportation calling for renewed attention, but no updates have been announced yet.