The early morning hours of Wednesday, January 14, 2026, ended in tragedy on Bethesda Church Road in Germantown. A single-vehicle crash claimed the life of 28-year-old Germantown resident Michael Patrick Fitzgerald Jr., born on April 22, 1997, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The accident was reported to authorities at 1:19 a.m. at the intersection of Bethesda Church Road and Johnson Drive. Montgomery County Police officers and Fire Rescue personnel rushed to the scene, where they discovered a black 2025 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross with severe front-end damage. The vehicle had left the roadway and collided with a tree.
The preliminary investigation by the Montgomery County Police Department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit indicates that the Mitsubishi was traveling northbound on Bethesda Church Road. For reasons still under official determination, the vehicle failed to negotiate the roadway and veered off course, resulting in the collision with the tree. The impact was significant, indicating a high-speed crash.
Emergency responders worked to extricate Michael Patrick Fitzgerald Jr. from the wreckage. He was found unconscious and with severe injuries. He was transported from the scene to an area hospital, where medical teams conducted emergency treatment in an effort to save his life.
Despite the exhaustive efforts of first responders and hospital staff, Michael Patrick Fitzgerald Jr. succumbed to the traumatic injuries he sustained in the crash. The Montgomery County Police Collision Reconstruction Unit continues its active investigation, focusing on factors such as speed, road conditions, and driver impairment to determine the exact cause.
The family and friends of Michael Fitzgerald are now left to mourn his sudden and tragic loss. The Montgomery County Police ask anyone with information regarding this collision to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620 to assist their ongoing investigation.
