An Annapolis man is dead, and a teen is recovering after a motor vehicle crash Sunday night in Jarrettsville.

On July 18, 2021, at 5:34 p.m., deputies assigned to the Northern Precinct of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 3900 block of Old Federal Hill Road in Jarrettsville for the report of a motor vehicle collision. Upon arrival, deputies discovered a single vehicle crash involving two occupants. The vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. The driver, identified as Joseph Lee DePasquale, 35, of Annapolis, was declared deceased on scene. The passenger, Kai Merritt, 14, of Jarrettsville, was flown to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Emergency Department by Maryland State Police Medivac Helicopter for treatment of what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.

Preliminary information gathered at the scene indicates DePasquale was traveling Eastbound on Old Federal Hill Road in a 2017 Ford Expedition, when the vehicle ran off the road, struck a tree stump and caught fire. Upon hearing the crash, and prior to the vehicle becoming fully engulfed in flames, a neighbor rushed to the vehicle, broke the car window, and pulled the teen from the vehicle, saving his life.

Deputies assigned to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Crash Team responded to the scene to assume the investigation into the cause and circumstances of the crash. Preliminary evidence suggests excessive speed was a contributing factor. It is unclear if DePasquale was wearing a seatbelt. The investigation is active and ongoing. No further information will be released at this time.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash, or has any information regarding the incident, is asked to call the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit at 443-409-3324.