Injuries from wreck kill 20-year-old man

State police say car struck utility pole

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009

A 20-year-old man died over the weekend from injuries suffered when his car struck a utility pole Dec. 10 in La Plata, according to Maryland State Police.

Joshua David Robinson of Port Tobacco lost control of his 2000 Buick LeSabre while driving east on Route 6 at about 1:27 a.m., the police report indicated. No other cars were involved in the accident.

Robinson was flown by helicopter to Prince George's Hospital Center with critical injuries, the report stated. He was later taken to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he died on Sunday, according to police.

Alcohol might be a contributing factor in the accident, but the incident is still being investigated, state police reported.

Robinson was "the most fun-loving kid you'd ever meet," said his father, Ray Robinson.

When Joshua Robinson was a toddler, he'd run into his father's room every morning, jump on his dad's chest and wake him up with a head-butt. Ray Robinson said the routine is one of his favorite memories of his high-spirited son, whose friendly personality gained him a large group of friends; his father said he has about 500 friends on the social networking Web site Facebook, many of whom have been calling and visiting since his accident.

"He was 20 years old, and he'd never been in a fight," Ray Robinson said. "He just loved to have a good time."

Before the crash, Joshua Robinson went to a birthday party for one of his co-workers at Ken Dixon Automotive. He texted his girlfriend as he left the gathering at about 1 a.m., saying he wished she was with him, Ray Robinson said.

On his way home, Joshua Robinson's car struck the utility pole, an impact that drove a foot-deep dent into the LeSabre and threw him into the back seat, according to his father.

Initially, Robinson's family was hopeful about his recovery. He didn't have any broken bones, and the only significant problem was brain swelling, Ray Robinson said. However, by Sunday, his condition had worsened dramatically, and he died the same day.

"You're not supposed to lose a 20-year-old," his father said.

Philip Burroughs, a used car manager at Ken Dixon, said workers at the Waldorf business are having a rough time with Joshua Robinson's death.

"But we're trying to think of the good times with him," Burroughs said, adding that Robinson had worked as a salesman at Ken Dixon for about three years.

Burroughs said Robinson was a fun-loving and outgoing person who liked to play jokes; he remembered on one occasion, Robinson Saran-wrapped a friend's car. Shortly afterward, Robinson's car suffered the same treatment, Burroughs said.

"He lived life to the fullest. He was a truly great friend," Burroughs said.

Robinson was a 2007 graduate of Maurice J. McDonough High School and had a brother and sister, according to his obituary. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in La Plata.