James Townsend killed when his vehicle leaves road, strikes tree.

Police have identified the man killed in a single-vehicle crash near his home in Brandywine, Md.

According to a preliminary investigation, 44-year-old James Townsend was heading northbound on Cherry Tree Crossing Road around 8:40 p.m. Thursday when he left the road near Old Indian Head Highway and struck a tree.

Police don't know why Townsend's vehicle left the road, but they are looking into whether speed was a factor in the accident.

Townsend, who lived on Cherry Tree Crossing Road, was pronounced dead at an area hospital