Man Charged with DUI After Fatal Crash That Killed 79‑Year‑Old New Jersey Woman in Washington D.C.

On the night of July 5, 2026, the quiet hum of an electric mobility scooter broke the usual clatter of traffic at the intersection of 14th Street and Independence Avenue in southwest Washington, D.C. Virginia “Ginnie” Voight, a 79‑year‑old former teacher from Palmyra, New Jersey, was crossing eastward, her scooter a modest lifeline that let her stay active well into her late‑70s.

Almost instantly, that routine was shattered. A pickup truck, driven by 55‑year‑old Michael Wayne Mills of Germantown, Maryland, turned right onto 14th Street and slammed into the scooter. The impact threw Ginnie onto the pavement, and although bystanders and a nearby National Guard member rushed to help, the injuries she sustained were severe.

She was taken to a local hospital, where doctors fought to save her. After a harrowing week, Ginnie passed away on July 12, 2026, succumbing to the trauma from the crash. The community she’d served for over three decades was left reeling, her loss reverberating through the Palmyra School District and the small town that called her one of their own.

Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, specifically the Major Crash Investigation Unit, moved quickly. Their investigation determined that Mills was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision. He fled the scene, but a National Guard member managed to detain him until officers arrived. Today, Mills faces two primary charges: driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a collision, with additional counts still under review.

Police are still gathering information and have set up a tip line—202‑727‑9099—for anyone who might have witnessed the crash or has relevant details. The public’s cooperation could be crucial in painting a fuller picture of what went wrong that night.

The Voight family has arranged a memorial service at Harbor Baptist Church in Hainesport Township, New Jersey. Friends, former students, and neighbors are expected to gather on Saturday to celebrate a life well‑lived, sharing stories of a woman who taught generations of children and never stopped moving forward, even on a scooter.