BERLIN, Md. – A Berlin man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges connected to a fatal DUI hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian in Worcester County.
Christopher Miller, 70, was sentenced May 22 to serve 10 years in the Maryland Division of Correction for driving under the influence of alcohol and five years concurrent for failing to stop at an accident involving death, according to the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office.
(Office of the State's Attorney for Worcester County)
Retired Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Mickey J. Norman suspended five years of Miller’s sentence and ordered him to complete three years of supervised probation following his release.
The charges stem from a Nov. 2, 2024, crash along Route 611 near Landings Boulevard in Berlin.
Maryland State Police responded to the scene and found pedestrian Carolyn Long dead from injuries sustained in the collision.
Investigators determined Long had been walking northbound along the shoulder of Route 611 around 10:15 p.m. when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Miller.
Authorities said Miller did not immediately stop or render aid after the crash. He later contacted police and returned to the scene on foot.
Troopers reported detecting the odor of alcohol on Miller and learned he had consumed alcoholic beverages earlier that evening. Subsequent testing showed Miller had a blood alcohol concentration of .15 at the time of the crash.
“Deaths like that of Ms. Long are tragic because they are preventable, and while no sentence will ever make up for a loss of life, I hope it brings some comfort to Ms. Long’s family and friends,” Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser said in a statement. “I also hope that this case serves as a reminder to our entire community and its visitors that Worcester County prosecutes drunk driving aggressively and unapologetically and that we will continue to do so.”
