A mother and daughter from Virginia were killed Saturday night when a suspected drunk driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 270 crashed head-on into their car in Montgomery County, authorities said.

Maryland State Police identified the women who died as Musammat Shamima Begum, 46, and Areebah Jahin, 23.

Jahin, Begum and an 8-year-old girl were passengers in a Toyota Camry being driven by a 62-year-old man whom authorities did not name.

Troopers and members of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responded to I-270 just south of Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda for a report of a two-vehicle crash around 6:46 p.m. A preliminary investigation determined a Ford Mustang was traveling north in the southbound lanes of the highway when it struck the Camry.

Advertise with us

Jahin and Begum died in the crash. The man and girl in their car were taken to hospitals for treatment. Police would not provide an update on their conditions Sunday.

Police identified the Mustang driver as Jose Caballero Nolasco, 32, of Germantown. Investigators said Nolasco was driving alone and that “impairment may be a contributing factor” in the crash. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Nolasco has been charged with two counts of gross negligent manslaughter, two counts of homicide by motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and one count of life-threatening injury by motor vehicle.

He was released from the hospital and transported to the Montgomery County Detention Center, where he is awaiting an appearance before a court commissioner, police said.

Lanes were closed for about five hours as the Maryland State Police crash team investigated.

This article has been updated.