Judge: Towson Student Ran Red Light Before Fatal Crosswalk Crash
A Towson University student who struck and killed a man and his dog in a crosswalk near campus was found guilty of criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter Thursday.
Calling the case a tragedy and “tremendously sad,” Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Ralph Sapia found that Oluwajomiloju “J.J.” Sekiteri was speeding when she ran a red light at Towsontown Boulevard and Emerson Drive Nov. 12, 2025.
It was around 4:15 p.m when the 2014 Toyota Camry that Sekiteri was driving struck 32-year-old Jordan Sachs and his dog, Archie, as they stepped off the curb and into the crosswalk. Sachs had waited for the pedestrian signal to cross, the judge found.
Sekiteri testified Thursday that she saw the yellow light but thought she had enough time to make it safely through the intersection. She was on her way to a hair appointment in preparation for for her upcoming 21st birthday, she told the judge from the witness stand.
“When I last saw the light, it was yellow,” Sekiteri said. “And I was driving, but then during the impact is when I see him. That’s when I swerved and tried to slow down the car, but everything happened so fast.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Felise Kelly repeatedly asked Sekiteri if she thought she could beat the yellow light, to which Sekiteri eventually answered, “Yes.”
Sekiteri stopped after the collision and stayed at the scene. Defense attorney Lee Eidelberg pointed out that his client was not impaired, had not been driving erratically and was not distracted.
Kelly argued that evidence suggested Sekiteri was eating a bowl of rice at the time of the collision. But Sapia said he believed that a passenger was the one eating, not the driver, because Sekiteri quickly steered to the left after impact, something he felt could not have been done steering with one hand.
After hearing three days of testimony, Sapia found that the light was red when Sekiteri hit Sachs and that she simply did not see him as she sped through the intersection.
A defense expert and a Baltimore County police accident reconstruction officer came to differing conclusions about her rate of speed, but they estimated she was traveling at least 40 miles per hour and possibly as fast as 54mph in the 40 mph zone.
Sapia acquitted Sekiteri of the more serious felony charge of grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter, which would have carried a penalty of up to ten years in prison.
A conviction of criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and up for $5,000 in fines. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14.
Sekiteri was also found guilty of multiple traffic offenses including negligent driving endangering life; speeding; failing to stop for a traffic signal and failing to control speed to avoid a collision.