Driver Who Struck, Killed Two Kids Pleads Guilty

ESSEX— A driver who struck a mother and her three young children in a crosswalk in Essex pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of negligent manslaughter in the deaths of two of the children.

John Walter Allen, 77, of Glenn Dale, initially claimed the children ran out in front of his car at the intersection of Eastern Boulevard and Orville Road in Essex on Jan. 6, 2020.

Investigators, however, believe Allen was speeding and that his vision was limited by sun glare when he ran a red light in his 2008 silver BMW 128i.

Allen remained at the scene.

Two boys — 5-year-old Jhalil Norris and 6-year-old Jovanni “JoJo” Norris — were pronounced dead at hospitals after the crash.

Their mother, Hashemi Al-Haqq, 36, and their 9-year-old brother, Janemen, were also struck and suffered serious injuries, according to police.

Both boys attended Mars Estates Elementary School, where Jovanni was in first grade and Jhalil was in kindergarten, according to their obituaries.

Allen “indicated that he was driving the posted speed limit, that he had a green light, and that the children darted or dashed in front of his vehicle,” Assistant State’s Attorney Felise Kelly said in court.

Witness accounts, however, differed sharply.

Several witnesses told investigators they saw the mother push the pedestrian signal button, wait, and then begin crossing the road. Other witnesses said they saw Allen speeding, running a red light, and driving into the marked crosswalk, Kelly said.

Allen appeared in Baltimore County Circuit Court Tuesday wearing orange jail-issued scrubs. He listened to the proceedings using a court-provided listening device.

Under Maryland law, manslaughter by vehicle is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine when a driver causes a death through grossly negligent conduct showing a reckless disregard for human life.

A July 2022 trial date was canceled after Allen failed to appear in court, records show. A bench warrant was issued and served nearly three years later, in June of this year. Allen has been held at the Baltimore County Detention Center since then.

Kelly asked Judge Andrew Battista to continue holding Allen without bail until his sentencing, scheduled for March.

“We’re going to keep him on a no-bail status,” Judge Battista said. “And I’m mindful of the fact that he was not around for about three years in between trial dates.”