A father of five was killed early Tuesday morning in Germantown, Maryland, when a stolen Kia driven by a 13-year-old boy, carrying six other teenagers, collided with his vehicle. The crash occurred around 5:00 a.m. at an intersection as the victim was driving to his job at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
William Vance Payne II, 58, was just 10 minutes from his workplace where he had been employed as a mechanical engineer for 29 years and was nearing retirement. His Toyota Matrix was struck by a stolen white Kia Optima. The juveniles inside the Kia, whose identities have not been released, included four girls aged 14, 14, 13, and 12, and three boys aged 15, 13, and 12.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene at approximately 5:25 a.m. to find Payne deceased. Both vehicles sustained significant damage. The juveniles were transported to local trauma centers, with the 13-year-old driver in critical but stable condition.
The Montgomery County Police Department's Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the incident, a process expected to take weeks to months. Charges will be determined by the Montgomery County State's Attorney’s Office after the investigation is complete. The Kia involved in the crash was reported stolen a few hours after the collision.
According to police, several of the juveniles in the stolen car were not wearing seatbelts, and some were seated on other passengers' laps. "At this age, they're not supposed to be driving. You do not have a license at the age of 15. Right now, I would say, parents, just make sure you know where your children are," an officer told NBC Washington.
Payne worked at NIST for nearly three decades, focusing on improving the efficiency and reliability of residential heat pumps and air conditioning units. NIST issued a statement expressing condolences to Payne's family, friends, and colleagues. An online fundraiser described Payne as a "loving, funny, patient, and dedicated family man." He is survived by his wife, Lisa, two adult daughters, and two young children.
This incident occurs amidst a trend of increased Kia and Hyundai thefts, particularly of models between 2010 and 2021. This trend gained traction around 2022 following viral social media videos demonstrating how easily these vehicles could be stolen due to a design flaw. Insurance claims for stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles saw a tenfold increase in 2023 compared to previous years. In May 2023, Kia and Hyundai reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit addressing the car thefts, offering software updates and hardware retrofits, though police continue to recommend additional security measures like steering wheel locks.
