Woman killed when she pulled out in front of deputy

LEONARDTOWN (March 5, 2009) ---  A Callaway woman was killed today when she failed to wait until she could see traffic was clear and pulled out of the SMECO parking lot onto Rt. 245 into the path of a St. Mary’s Sheriff’s deputy.

St. Mary’s Sheriff’s spokesman DFC Cindy Allen reports that Blanche Cecil Laungayan, 60, was killed on the scene of the crash at about 9:15 am. 

St. Mary’s Sheriff Tim Cameron said that the woman’s grandson was the child who was her passenger and was also injured. The child was flown to Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC. 

Deputy Milton Pesante, a corporal on the department, who had formerly been a correctional officer, was not injured.

“He is pretty shook up,” said Sheriff Cameron, “he is taking it pretty hard but he wasn’t injured, he is solid performer for the department, real quiet and a hard worker.”

“It may be that the final investigation will show that the woman’s view of the roadway could have been blocked by a tractor trailer that was turning into SMECO,” said Cameron.    “We have had a number of crashes take place where if the driver at fault had just waited until a clear line of sight was available, the crash could have been avoided. You think of the little things that you do every day like grabbing your children’s hands in a parking lot, it all makes a difference.  We are very sorry for the woman’s death in today’s crash and for her family.”

Laungayan was operating a 2004 Toyota Tacoma and Cpl. Pesante was operating a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer.

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Collision Re-constructionist, Sergeant Edward Evans is the primary investigator of the collision.  Witnesses to the collision are asked to contact Sgt. Evans at (301) 475-4200 Ext. 9018.