By Allison Klein and Debbi Wilgoren
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, February 17, 2007; B05

A man who recently moved to Washington from Ireland was killed early yesterday when his car was struck head-on by a sport-utility vehicle speeding on the wrong side of Wisconsin Avenue NW, D.C. police said.

Diarmuid O'Brien, 29, who moved to the District in September, was an assistant manager at the Courtyard by Marriott Northwest. He was on his way home from work about 2 a.m. when he was killed, according to the hotel's staff.

The driver of the SUV, Kadri Atalay, 42, of Gaithersburg, was charged with second-degree murder in the crash, police said.

Investigators think Atalay was intoxicated and speeding, said D.C. police Capt. Melvin Gresham. He declined to say exactly how fast police think Atalay was driving.

Peter Hilary, a vice president with Jurys Hotel Group, an affiliated hotel chain, released a statement calling O'Brien a "highly regarded employee."

"With a quick smile and inevitable Irish wit, he was liked and respected by all," the statement said. "O'Brien was an incredible asset to our team, and we are deeply saddened by this sudden tragedy."

O'Brien relocated to Washington after working with Quality Hotels in Ireland, Hilary said.

The accident occurred just north of Washington National Cathedral at 1:55 a.m., police said. Atalay, who was driving a Mercedes SUV south on Wisconsin Avenue, was approaching the intersection with Woodley Road when he crossed into the northbound lane, striking the Chrysler Sebring driven by O'Brien, police said.

The Sebring was pushed into a parked car, police said. The Mercedes, still in the northbound lane, ran into a parked car, flipped over and landed in the 3200 block of Wisconsin Avenue, police said.

O'Brien was pronounced dead an hour later at Washington Hospital Center, police said.

Atalay, of the 15600 block of Marathon Circle, was taken to Washington Hospital Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, authorities said.

It was unclear yesterday where O'Brien lived. Police indicated that he lived in the same block as the hotel, in the 1900 block of Connecticut Ave., but hotel staff members said he was on his way home when he was killed.

Three blocks of Wisconsin Avenue were shut down for hours after the collision, disrupting the morning rush. The road was reopened about 9:30 a.m.