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Driver Identified in Hyattsville Fiery Crash of Pickup Truck

HYATTSVILLE, Md. (AP) - Authorities are identifying the driver of a pickup truck killed in a fiery crash with a van headed to a Maryland church, north of Washington.

Prince George's County Police identified the driver late Tuesday as 30-year-old Medardo Flores of Chillum. Earlier in the day, police identified three others killed in the crash as 6-year-old Staily Gomez, 75-year-old Santiago Merche, and 72-year-old Elba Merche. All three lived in Washington.

One woman in the van was in the late stages of pregnancy and lost her baby as a result of the crash.

There were 16 people in the van, which was driving to a service at a small, Spanish-speaking evangelical church when the truck veered across the center line into the van's path. Police say shortly before hitting the van, the pickup hit another car and didn't stop.

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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.