A vibrant young life was cut short Saturday night when 26-year-old Mariama Samateh died in a single-vehicle rollover crash on Cherry Hill Road, leaving the tight-knit Silver Spring community in stunned grief.
Montgomery County police and fire crews responded just after 10 p.m. to the area near O’Fallon Street, where they found a blue 2007 Toyota Avalon on its roof and Samateh trapped inside. Despite frantic efforts to extricate and resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Preliminary investigation shows Samateh was traveling westbound when her car failed to negotiate a curve, left the roadway, struck a tree, and overturned. Speed, road conditions, and possible mechanical issues remain under review, authorities said.
“Mariama was the kind of person who made everyone feel seen,” a close friend told reporters outside the crash site, tears in her eyes. “She had this quiet strength and the biggest heart. This just doesn’t feel real.”
Described by family as hardworking, generous, and full of dreams, Samateh had recently been balancing multiple jobs while planning for a brighter future. Friends say she was always the first to help someone in need and lit up every room she entered.
Since news of the tragedy spread, a makeshift memorial of flowers, candles, and handwritten notes has grown along the curb where the crash occurred. Neighbors who never met her have stopped by to pay respects, many hugging Samateh’s devastated relatives who keep vigil at the site.
Montgomery County Police continue to investigate and ask anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has dash-cam footage to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit.
As Silver Spring wraps its arms around Mariama Samateh’s grieving family, her memory is already being celebrated as a reminder to hold loved ones close and drive safely.
Rest in peace, Mariama.