SALISBURY, Md. — A Seaford man has been convicted for causing a 2024 wrong-way crash on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that killed a young family of three.
Jay Richard Bynum, 61, was found guilty Tuesday by a Wicomico County jury of nine charges, including grossly negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle, and homicide by vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The verdict came after a three-day trial in Circuit Court before Judge Matthew Maciarello.
The charges stem from a crash that occurred just before 3 a.m. on May 19, 2024. Investigators said Bynum drove his Dodge Durango north in the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 13 for nearly six miles before crashing head-on into a Subaru Impreza near Princess Anne.
The crash killed 20-year-old Dean Alexander Dennison, 19-year-old Sierra Rain Merchant, and their 1-year-old son, Grayson Dennison. All three victims were from upstate New York. Authorities reported that Bynum’s blood alcohol content was more than 1.5 times the legal limit at the time of the crash. Bynum remains in custody as sentencing has been postponed pending a pre-sentence investigation. The case was led by the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office with assistance from Maryland State Police, local law enforcement, and fire departments who responded to the scene.
Jay Richard Bynum, 61 years old
Photo: Office of the State Attorney for Wicomico County Facebook Page