Authorities ID Teen Who Died In I-270 Crash: Reports

GERMANTOWN, MD — Police and school officials said the teenager who died Wednesday in a traffic accident on Interstate 270 was a student at Northwest High School in Germantown, according to media reports. Joshua Snyder, 17, of Boyds died when his car rear-ended a Ford box truck that had stopped in the left shoulder of I-270, Montgomery Community Media reported.

Maryland State Police troopers responded at 3:24 p.m. to the scene of the accident, in the southbound lanes of I-270 just south of Montrose Road. The accident led to the closure Wednesday afternoon of all six lanes of southbound I-270, as well as part of northbound I-270, as police investigated the accident.

The lane closures lasted until 7:30 p.m., snarling rush-hour traffic. There were no other injuries in the crash, and alcohol use did not appear to be a factor, according to the Maryland State Police.

Snyder was a senior at Northwest High School, and on Thursday, a support team of counselors went to the school to counsel and support students and staff, Montgomery Community Media reported. The school held a moment of silence Thursday in his honor.

His friends said that Snyder was a member of the school's cross country and wrestling teams, WJLA-TV ABC7 reported.

According to Montgomery Community Media, Northwest High Principal Jimmy D'Andrea sent an email to students, parents and the school community to tell them about Wednesday's accident.

The principal wrote: "For those of you who knew Josh, we ask that you remember and celebrate his life. He was a very kind, hard-working individual who had a positive impact on all of those around him, and he will be deeply missed.”

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