Background: The scene of the crash on Annapolis Road in Bladensburg, Maryland, on Oct. 18, 2025 (WTTG/YouTube). Inset: Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez (GoFundMe).
A man in Maryland has learned his punishment for crashing into a kid's birthday party, which killed a woman and trapped others underneath his car, and then leaving, authorities say.
Sunday Joseph, 66, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to failure to remain at the scene of an accident "where the driver knew or should have known that death occurred" and 14 counts of reckless driving, the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office announced on Thursday.
The crash took the life of 31-year-old Ashley Hernandez Gutierrez.
On Oct. 18, 2025, Hernandez Gutierrez and at least 13 other people were inside a tent in the front yard of a home on Annapolis Road in Bladensburg, Maryland, a town just northeast of Washington, D.C. They were gathered for a child's birthday party meant to be "a joyful night of celebration," a GoFundMe set up for the victim stated.
As the family celebrated, Joseph had reversed his car along the roadway "when he jumped the curb and crashed" into the tent, the state's attorney's office recounted.
After crashing, Joseph turned the car off, grabbed the keys, and ran away, regional NBC affiliate WRC reported. According to authorities, people were trapped underneath, and the vehicle had to be lifted to save them.
Hernandez Gutierrez was killed, while at least eight children and five adults were injured, according to the prosecutorial agency. Law enforcement responded, but Joseph was not there.
Prosecutors reportedly suggested that Joseph may have been under the influence before and during the crash but that they couldn't prove it because he had left the scene. The defendant's attorney mentioned that he has a medical condition that causes his legs to feel numb, suggesting that could have been the cause of the crash.
About 10 hours later, Joseph turned himself in to law enforcement.
By sentencing Joseph to 10 years in prison, the judge gave him more than state sentencing guidelines and the state's recommendation, per the local outlet. He is also not allowed to drive and must perform eight hours of community service on every anniversary of the crash.
Still, families of the victims told WRC that the sentence wasn't enough.
"I'm suffering from depression and traumatic things," one said. "I can't even sleep at night because of this incident. I don't even want to be behind the wheel, to be honest, anymore."
"Children looking at birthday parties will never look at birthday parties the same," stated another. "They always think it's going to be a tragedy, and it's not fair."
Before his plea, Joseph was set to have a jury trial in June, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
"This devastating event has left the entire family heartbroken and struggling to comprehend how such a tragedy could occur during what was meant to be a joyful night of celebration," the fundraiser set up for Hernandez Gutierrez stated. "Ashley was deeply loved by all who knew her—her warmth, kindness, and caring nature touched everyone around her."