Driver in I-695 crash that killed 6 highway workers lands in prison over McDonald’s trip

A trip to McDonald’s cost Melachi Brown his freedom.

On Dec. 9, 2025, Baltimore County Police pulled Brown over on Liberty Road near Rolling Road in Milford Mill at about 2:30 a.m. after spotting him driving a car with broken taillights. He told officers he was giving a ride to a friend who had just gotten out of the hospital to the fast-food restaurant.

But Brown did not have a valid driver’s license. That’s because he had pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court for his role in a 2023 crash on Interstate 695 that killed six highway workers.

Baltimore County Circuit Judge Evelyn L. Cusson on Tuesday sentenced Brown to serve six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to driving with a revoked license and admitted to violating his probation.

One of the conditions of supervision for his convictions in the deadly crash was to abstain from driving.

Before she imposed the sentence, Cusson said Brown “poses an extreme risk to public safety.”

“You really acted with disregard for the law,” Cusson said. “It’s not clear to the court you’ve been deterred and rehabilitated.”

The crash happened on March 22, 2023, after Lisa Lea tried to merge into the passing lane and hit Brown’s 2017 Volkswagen Jetta while going twice the speed limit. He was driving 111 mph at the time of impact.

That’s when Lea spun out, passed through a space in the concrete barriers that separated the work zone from the rest of the highway, and flipped her 2017 Acura TLX over multiple times.

The crash claimed the lives of Rolando Ruiz, 46, of Laurel; Carlos Villatoro Escobar, 43, of Frederick; Jose Escobar, 52, of Frederick; Mahlon “MJ” Simmons III, 30, of Union Bridge; Mahlon “Stick” Simmons II, 52, of Union Bridge; and Sybil DiMaggio, 46, of Glen Burnie.

It was among the deadliest to take place in a work zone in the United States in decades.

Brown, 23, of Gwynn Oak, pleaded guilty to six counts of negligent vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. But the judge suspended almost all of the time — 58 1/2 years — as part of a plea agreement and imposed three years’ supervised probation.

He was later allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence on home detention.

Meanwhile, Lea, 57, of Ednor Gardens-Lakeside, who also pleaded guilty to six counts of negligent vehicular manslaughter, was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison.

Assistant State’s Attorney Felise Kelly said she met with Brown in her office because she intended to call him as a witness if Lea decided to go to trial.

During that meeting, Brown expressed remorse about his role in the crash, Kelly said.

“I am shocked and disappointed he appears before this court,” said Kelly, who requested the six-year prison sentence.

One of the victim’s brothers, James DiMaggio, also addressed the court and spoke about the countless lives that have been affected because of what happened.

But Joseph Owens, Brown’s attorney, urged the judge to impose a sentence of one year in jail. Prison, Owens added, only teaches people how to be criminals.

“A six-year sentence now is the first step toward life in prison,” Owens said.

Brown declined to address the judge, saying he didn’t want to come across as a victim. He noted that there are real victims in the case.

“I have learned from my past mistakes,” he said.

When he’s released from prison, Brown will have to spend three years on supervised probation. He must perform 40 hours of community service.

And once again, his probation mandates no driving.