2 Men Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver

CABIN JOHN, Md. - Two Springfield men are dead after police say they were run off the road by a drunk driver.

Gradys Mendoza, 39, was at the wheel of his 2005 Nissan Frontier when police say 33-year-old Kelli Russ Loos hit him from behind on the Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway late Tuesday night. Mendoza lost control of the truck as it left the road around 11 p.m. and plunged into a ravine near the American Legion Bridge.

A passenger in the truck, 37-year-old Franklin Manzanares, died at the scene. Mendoza was pulled from the wreckage but died en route to the hospital.

Police say Loos then left the scene, crashing her car about a mile away on the ramp to the Georgetown Pike. She was arrested and charged with DWI. Court records show Loos recorded a blood alcohol level of between .15 and .20, which is well over the legal limit of .08.

"We have a witness who saw the accident and continued following the vehicle," said Maryland State Police First Sergeant Kimberly Smith.

So far, Maryland State Police have only charged Loos with leaving the scene of an accident involving bodily harm.

"Our investigation is still continuing with our barrack CID and our crash team," said Sergeant Smith. "There is a lot of investigation that still needs to continue. We will consult with the Montgomery County State's Attorney at which time if there are any other charges, charge her with that and take her before a grand jury for indictment."

As recently as March, Kelli Loos had an address in Bethesda. Court records show she has had numerous run-ins with the law over the last two years.

In September of last year, Loos was charged with driving on a suspended license in Virginia Beach. Online court records show she was found not guilty.

On March 9 of this year, Loos was charged in Bethesda with driving on a suspended out-of-state license. She was also cited with driving an uninsured vehicle. She was due in court June 15, but failed to show.

Loos remains behind bars in Virginia. Maryland State Police have a warrant for her arrest.