Driver in Ellicott City fatal collision identified as Elkridge teenager

Howard County Police have identified an 18-year-old Elkridge resident as the victim of a fatal single-vehicle collision that occurred in Ellicott City on Friday.

Kaio Cypress was traveling north on Ilchester Road in Ellicott City at approximately 9:48 p.m. on Sept. 18 when his vehicle, a 2013 Nissan Juke, “left the roadway for an unknown reason and struck a tree,” according to police.

Cypress, the vehicle’s sole occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cypress graduated in May from Howard High School, where he was a defenseman on the varsity boys lacrosse team.

The team posted on Instagram last spring that Cypress planned to study pre-dentistry and play lacrosse at Juniata College in central Pennsylvania. “His favorite memory at Howard is beating Glenelg in the County Championship last year!” the team wrote then.

“Kaio was a fierce competitor who played the game with tremendous passion and toughness,” the team wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “He brought an intensity to the field and a competitive spirit that represented what it meant to wear a Howard jersey.

“Once a Lion, always a Lion, and he will forever be a part of our program.”

The police investigation is ongoing.