Vigil Held For Young Man, Woman Killed On Jones Bridge Road

A vigil was held along Jones Bridge Road Monday for eighteen-year-old Kaitlin Marie Gallagher and 20-year-old Nicholas Scott Clayton, the passengers who were killed when the Chevrolet Trail Blazer they were riding in in the early morning hours of Jan. 1.

Gallagher, known to friends as Keke, was several months pregnant, ABC7 reports and friends at the vigil confirmed.

Friends at the vigil confirmed to Patch that the group had been attending a New Year's Eve party in College Park before the crash, but Montgomery County Police are investigating those reports, according to ABC7.

Police said that it's not yet known whether the driver, 22-year-old Roderick Brice, had been drinking.

“At this scene, there were empty and full alcoholic beverage containers in the car,” Montgomery County Police Capt. Paul Starks told ABC7.

Starks told WTOP that although alcoholic beverages were found inside the car, it doesn't necessarily mean the driver had alcohol in his system.

He said police are still waiting on the toxicology reports.

Brice, of the 12900 block of Clarks Crossing Drive in Clarksburg, was transported to Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore in serious condition.

The other two passengers in the car, Conor John Hayes, 18, of the 5800 block of Nicholson Lane in Rockville, and Kevin Seiji Russel, 19, of the 4700 block of Willard Avenue in Chevy Chase, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Jason Giddings, 22, of Burtonsville, a friend of Clayton, attended the vigil at the crash site Monday afternoon, where friends and family prayed, shared memories, and left flowers, candles and pictures.

The two liked to skateboard together in Rockville and downtown Bethesda, Giddings said.

Giddings said Clayton's mother had recently passed away and his father had recently moved to Florida.

"The last time I saw him was the day before [the crash happened,]" Giddings said. "We were at a friend's house, just kicking back and playing games."

Giddings said he left a Redskins cap at the crash site for Clayton, who worked at FedEx Field and was a fan of the football team. Giddings said he had intended on giving the hat to his friend the next time he saw him.