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Driver in 2023 Beltway Work-Zone Crash Gets 6-Year Prison Term for Probation Violation

The judge said his recent driving on a suspended license showed an extreme risk to public safety.

Overview

  • Melachi Brown pleaded guilty to driving on a suspended license and admitted violating probation, and the court ordered three more years of supervised probation after his prison term.
  • A Baltimore County officer stopped Brown for a broken taillight in December and found he was behind the wheel despite a no-driving order, according to the police report.
  • Brown had served about three months of an 18‑month sentence from a 2024 plea deal, then moved to home detention with a bar on driving during a three‑year probation term.
  • Federal investigators said excessive speed caused the 2023 crash, finding Brown and the other driver, Lisa Lea, were both traveling faster than 120 mph when six road workers were killed.
  • Relatives of the victims have pressed for tougher accountability in work zones, and one brother said he was outraged when Brown was found driving again after the earlier plea deal.