Manslaughter Charges Filed In Potomac Crash That Killed 2

POTOMAC, MD — A California driver faces prison time in a crash that killed two of his friends in Potomac in March, according to reports.

Daniel Alex Epstein, 25, of West Hollywood, was indicted for two counts of manslaughter by a Montgomery County grand jury for the March 23 crash.

The deceased were identified as Hersh Bhansaly, 25, of Bethesda and Brian Everett Laurence, 25, of Potomac.

Montgomery County Police said the victims were passengers in a Mercedes that Epstein was driving.

The indictment was first reported by WJLA.

Epstein was driving east on Oaklyn Drive when he crashed with a 16-year-old driver from Derwood who was driving a Ford Expedition going west, police said.

The accident occurred just before 8 p.m.

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Epstein and a male front seat passenger were both injured, while the two backseat passengers died at a local hospital, police said.

Police said the teen driver and two juvenile female passengers in the Ford were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Epstein surrendered at the Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville and was then released on $20,000 bond after a court hearing on Tuesday, WJLA reports.

Bethesda Magazine reports victims Laurance and Bhansaly were Churchill graduates.

Bhansaly’s father, Raj Bhansaly, told Bethesda Magazine that Epstein was "reckless in what he did."

The magazine also contacted Bhansaly’s older brother, Ishan, through email.

“It breaks my heart to know that Hersh is gone and that Danny’s life is also destroyed. I know he has to face consequences for his actions, as we all do, but I take no comfort in seeing another child and another family devastated and destroyed. Hersh wouldn’t have wanted that,” Ishan said. “We must forgive. Above all else, we must forgive.”

Epstein is due back in court on August 17. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each felony charge.

(Photo of the scene of the crash via Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Spokesperson Pete Piringer)