LAUREL, Md. – A Baltimore City man was arrested early Sunday morning following a double fatal crash on southbound Interstate 95, according to Maryland State Police.
Michael Coupet, 34, is charged with multiple counts, including four counts of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. He was transported to the Howard County Detention Center and is being held without bond.
The deceased have been identified as Venkata Asha Khanna Appana, 48, and Krishna Kishore Koti Kalapudi, 49, both from Marvin, North Carolina. Appana, the driver of a Chrysler Pacifica, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Kalapudi, a front passenger, was taken to a hospital where he later died. Two additional passengers, ages 21 and 16, were injured; the 21-year-old was transported by ambulance, while the 16-year-old was flown to a trauma center by Maryland State Police Aviation Command.
At approximately 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, troopers from the Maryland State Police Waterloo Barrack responded to a report of the crash at Maryland 216. Preliminary investigations indicate that Coupet’s Toyota Sequoia was traveling the wrong way on I-95 and collided head-on with the Chrysler.
Lanes were closed for over two hours for the investigation, with assistance from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the ongoing investigation.