HOLLYWOOD, Md. – To highlight the deadly consequences of speeding, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the investigative findings of the fatal collision involving a motorcycle and a Hyundai Santa Fe that occurred on April 7, 2024, in Hollywood, MD. The motorcycle operator, Tiernan Anthony Stephenson, was pronounced dead at the scene, and a nine-year-old passenger in the Hyundai succumbed to injuries on April 12, 2024.
The investigation, conducted by the Sheriff’s Office Reconstruction Unit, has determined the motorcycle operator’s excessive speed caused the collision. Footage from the helmet camera worn by Stephenson showed the motorcycle traveling 164 miles per hour immediately before impact.
Following the release of the investigative findings, Sheriff Steve Hall said, “The impact of this crash has left permanent scars on the families involved; it is devastating. Witnesses and first responders are profoundly shaken by what they saw on April 7. It has been said many times before, but our message begs repeating: driving the speed limit and maintaining focus on the road must be intentional and habitual. The social contract between all drivers is one of the most important we make; it is rooted in the truth that every life—yours, your passengers, and those of others on the road—matters to someone.”
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is committed to ensuring the safety of all road users and urges drivers to adopt and maintain safe driving habits to prevent future tragedies.
They need to stop making motorcycles that go this speed that are used on public roads/streets. They should only be legal as racing bikes.
I see this crap every day with irresponsible kids (20s) driving ridiculous speeds, going in & out of traffic, riding shoulder. Very reckless. They are a safety hazard for those of us the roads. 165 mph?
Couldn’t have said it better myself!!!
No vehicles should be able to go above 20mph!! Think of all the lives we’ll save!
I disagree with the 20 MPH comment. There are many people that are responsible citizens but 20 mph? The motorcycle driver must’ve had a death wish but why take it out on others???
Then they need to do the same thing for cars.
SAD. Its time for the States Attorney to get serious with crime by prosecuting when these people are caught. Judges need to stop giving a slap on the wrist when they hand down a sentence. Maybe then people will slow down.
Sad. Maybe its the States Attorney needs to prosecute to the fullest when these individual’s get caught and charged, Judges need to put some teeth into the sentence they hand down. Maybe then this will stop
As a former long-time bike rider, I totally agree with the above comments. It will be impossible to ban high-speed vehicles; it is not impossible to make the legal consequences for this kind of behavior severe. There is no excuse for causing and accident where a 9 year old succumbs –
Wow, so sad. I knew speed was at fault. Came down from waldorf to open up his bike engine on our less congested highway. Took an innocent life.
Agree 100%
Why is it impossible to ban these high speed vehicles? They can travel much faster than any legal speed limit , so why do we need any vehicles, autos or motorcycles, that will travel at this rate of speed . Restrict manufacturers from making them that way. Or restrict the tagging of these vehicles . Get them off our roads !
Technically he didn’t cause the accident, the car pulled out in front of the motorcycle
The bike was going 164 mph! Do you know how fast that is?? 241 feet per second. 80 yards per second… a football field in less than 2 seconds! Do you understand that the car would have had plenty of time to pull out if the biker was going the speed limit? He murdered a child. It was a choice to go that fast on a public road. Absolutely insane.
Idiot
He caused it by going 164+. The driver of the car he hit would not have been able to see him. This is 100% his fault.
That guy at the earliest would have been visible to anyone turning out of Tom Hodges at around three tenths of a mile. It would take him 7 seconds or less to cover that distance at 164+. If he is weaving through the lanes, that seven seconds is significantly less.
So yeah we need to watch out for the motorcycles. Because they are being dumb.
Plan and simple she pulled out in front of him causing the accident . Speed should not be a factor. She pulled out in front him .
Wrong if he wasn’t going so fast it wouldn’t of happen
What absolute BS! No one has any reasonable expectation for someone to be going 3 times the posted speed limit when looking to cross at an intersection like that and it would be even harder to recognize that it was happening with a motorcycle. So what would be the limit then, for someone pulling out to *not* be at fault in your estimation; 200 mph, 400 mph, Mach 1? His excessive speed caused this accident and killed a child.
Plain and simple he was going over 3 times the speed limit. He was breaking the law and it cost him his life and a child’s life.
You’re wrong. Stop. What if the bike was traveling at 1000 miles per hour, is it still her fault? It is obvious from this argument that there must be a time and speed that turns fault on the motorcycle. There comes a time when people are traveling too fast and therefore cannot afford others on the road to see them or make a safe judgement call. Go out and measure the blind spot and do the math before you keyboard hero this one. This poor womans child was killed. On the last article people chastised her for the same thing saying it was her fault. You have no idea how your ignorance affects people. Im positive that you would not walk up to this woman and say it was her fault, then why do it here? Just stop and leave her alone.
How do you think the riders family feels knowing now that their son killed her daughter? Everyone just stop. What you’re saying REALLY messes with people.
SpEeD ShOuLd’Nt bE a FaCtOr. Get outta here with that. If he was going the speed limit (and I will cede ten over), the lady would have been able to see him and he would most likely would never have hit her. She probably would have been able to safely negotiate that intersection and not cause any sort of slow down or collision. BUUUUUUUUT HE WAS GOING 3 TIMES THE SPEED LIMIT. This is 100% his fault. 100% avoidable if he was not doing 3 times the speed limit.
How do you people expect to charge dead people?
Ahh… someone who actually read the article! Yes, the rider is dead. Thank you for pointing that out to the comprehension challenged.
As for you CARTOON CHARACTERS that think the car was at fault…he was coming towards the car at THREE TIMES THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT!!! That can be extremely hard to judge/ determine when looking at them straight on.
I’ve never owned a motorcycle, but I am aware that inanimate objects DO NOT cause accidents. So the theory of banning an object is not going to change criminals’ behavior.