A Silver Spring woman has been sentenced to one year in prison for a fatal crash that claimed the life of an 85-year-old woman. Jesica Argueta, 24, was driving at more than twice the speed limit when the incident occurred.
On September 16, 2023, Argueta received a 20-year sentence, with all but one year suspended, after pleading guilty in Montgomery County Circuit Court to charges of vehicular manslaughter by gross negligence and second-degree assault.
The crash happened on August 7, 2022, during the morning rush hour. At around 7:45 a.m., Argueta was driving a Toyota GR86 on Randolph Road when she began weaving through traffic. Prosecutors reported that she reached a speed of 84.5 mph in a 40 mph zone before colliding with a Toyota 4Runner carrying Josephine Gieske and another passenger.
Josephine Gieske
Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office
Gieske, who was in the front passenger seat, and the driver were returning home from church and were making a left turn when the crash occurred. Both individuals sustained serious injuries, and Gieske ultimately succumbed to her injuries on August 22, 2022, more than two weeks after the accident.
Following the incident, Argueta accepted responsibility for her actions, leading to her guilty plea on July 22, 2023. Along with her prison sentence, she will also be subject to five years of supervised probation upon her release.
