Virginia Man Killed After 13-Year-Old Crashes Stolen Kia Packed With Kids

The Kia had been reported stolen out of Germantown several hours after the crash occurred.

Published: 8/6/2026, 5:28:11 PM EDT

Virginia Man Killed After 13-Year-Old Crashes Stolen Kia Packed With Kids — Police tape in a stock photo. (Carl Ballou/Shutterstock)

A Virginia man died Tuesday after a stolen Kia Optima driven by a 13-year-old boy slammed into his car at a Germantown intersection, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police.

William Vance Payne II, 58, was pronounced dead at the scene after the crash at the intersection of Clopper Road and Great Seneca Highway, according to a Wednesday press release.

Montgomery County police said officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue crews were called to the intersection at around 5:25 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, after reports of a serious collision. When they arrived, they found both vehicles with extensive damage.

Investigators determined that a white 2015 Kia Optima was heading north on Great Seneca Highway when it entered the intersection and struck Payne's eastbound 2007 Toyota Matrix on Clopper Road, according to the preliminary investigation. The Kia had been reported stolen out of Germantown several hours after the crash occurred.

The stolen Kia carried seven juvenile occupants ranging in age from 12 to 15. Those on board included four girls, ages 14, 14, 13 and 12, and three boys, ages 15, 13 and 12.

Police said the vehicle's 13-year-old driver was taken to an area hospital in critical but stable condition. The remaining juvenile passengers were taken to several area trauma centers.

Investigation Continues

The Montgomery County Department of Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is handling the investigation, which officials say could take several weeks to months to complete. Any charges connected to the crash will be decided by the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office once investigators present their findings.

The Germantown crash closely relates to an incident in Ohio last year in which young children were also behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle. In Newburgh Heights, Ohio, an 11-year-old boy led police on a chase in a stolen white Kia sedan on Dec. 20, 2025, before crashing into a home, according to a statement from Newburgh Heights Police Chief John Majoy shared with NTD at the time.

License plate readers alerted officers to the stolen sedan traveling on Harvard Avenue, and when officers tried to stop it, the vehicle fled and later crashed, according to Majoy. Dashcam footage viewed by NTD showed patrol vehicles attempting to stop the sedan before it sped through an intersection and struck a home.

An occupant of the home, Daniel Reilly, told WKYC's 3News he heard a "big bang" while watching television upstairs, and said he wasn't sure the children understood the danger they posed to themselves and others. Two other juveniles, ages 8 and 12, were passengers in that vehicle and fled on foot before being caught by officers.

Bodycam footage reviewed by NTD showed officers holding the boys at gunpoint while awaiting backup, with one juvenile pleading to call his mother and another crying for his mom. Majoy said the boys had learned how to steal a car by watching a YouTube video, and that all three would face charges in juvenile court.