Maryland State Trooper Struck by Vehicle in Beltsville

The trooper's injuries were said to be non-life threatening.

Authorities say a Maryland State Police trooper was struck by a vehicle in Beltsville around midday Friday. According to Prince George's County Fire Department spokesman Mark Brady, the incident occurred in the 10100 block of Baltimore Ave. The trooper's injuries were said to to be non-life-threatening.  Baltimore Avenue is closed to traffic in the area of the incident, Brady reported. Correction: An initial report stated that the accident may have been connected with a shooting, but it was later established that the trooper was struck during a high-speed pursuit. This article has been updated accordingly.

• Photos (2)

Driving Strongly Discouraged in Maryland

State police urge motorists to stay off the roads as much as possible.

Although Maryland State Police is not handing out citations for being on the road, they are strongly discouraging residents from driving. State police spokesperson Greg Shipley warned residents that increasing amount of standing water is a significant hazard to drivers because of the high risk for vehicles to hydroplane.  “People don’t realize that you don’t have to be going that fast on the road to hydroplane,” he said. Hydroplaning is caused by water being pushed up to the tires and creating a barrier of water, which decreases tire traction and inhibits drivers’ ability to safely steer their vehicles. Basically, Shipley added, the vehicle will be traveling on top of water. Drivers could also run into other hazards like downed trees and …

•  14 Comments
• Photos (1)

New Law About Broken Traffic Lights Starts Oct. 1

Maryland drivers who fail to stop and check for pedestrians at nonfunctioning traffic signals will soon face larger fines and points on their licenses.

Maryland drivers have a new set of rules to follow when they come upon a traffic signal that's broken, according to a Maryland State Police press release. The new law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, requires a driver approaching a nonfunctioning traffic signal from any direction at an intersection to stop at a clearly marked stop line, before entering any crosswalk or before entering the intersection. After stopping, the driver must yield to any vehicle or pedestrian in the intersection and remain stopped until it is safe to enter and continue through the intersection. "Just because a traffic control signal is not functioning at an intersection does not mean drivers are relieved of their duty to exercise care and caution," according to the…

•  75 Comments
• Photos (1)

Man Found Dead in Car at Beltsville MVA

Cause of Lanham man's death unknown; police continue to investigate.

Maryland State Police are attempting to determine what caused the death of a man found in a vehicle parked at the Motor Vehicle Administration building in Beltsville Monday morning. Authorities identified the man as Kevin Lee Francis, 36, of Lanham, MD. Francis was found lying in the back seat of a Volkswagon Passat by a Maryland State Trooper on duty at the MVA. The officer had been approached about 8:30 a.m. by a man who said something was wrong with his friend. Upon reaching the car, the trooper determined the man was dead. No apparent signs of trauma were found.   Francis' body has been transported to the Chief Medical Examiner's Officer in Baltimore for an autopsy. College Park Barrack Troopers and investigators from the Maryland …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

State Police Respond to Increased Traffic Fatalities with Targeted Patrol

The beltway and other high traffic roads will see an increase in trooper presence this weekend.

  Maryland State Police will be on the roads in full force this weekend, targeting potential crashes before they happen. If you’re planning a quick trip, be aware that 22 Maryland State Police Department barracks will be alert and looking for aggressive driving, speeding, distracted or impaired drivers and seat belt violations. The effort comes in response to an increase in traffic fatalities. Traffic-related deaths are up 13.5 percent across the country for the first quarter of 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Maryland, there was an increase of 6 percent, according a Maryland State Police release. From Jan. 1, 2012, to July 23, 2012, there were 251 fatalities on Maryland roads, an increase of 12 …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Head-On Collision in Highland Sends Two to Shock Trauma

Both drivers are currently listed in "stable" condition, according to Howard County Police.

Howard County Police are investigating a collision that occurred around 3 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of the Clarksville Pike and Briaridge Court in Highland, that sent two people to Shock Trauma. The driver of a 2011 Chevrolet Aveo crossed the double yellow lines and collided head-on with a 1999 GMC Yukon carrying one occupant, according to a press release from the Howard County Police Department. Preliminary investigation shows the Chevrolet driver's "failure to drive right of center" was the primary cause of the collision, according to police. Both drivers were transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma by Maryland State Police Medevac and are listed in "stable" condition, according to HCPD. The identity of the driver of…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Top News: Shootings, Utility Data, Water Shortage

County Executives get tough on utility companies, while residents deal with a water shortage and utility scam.

  Early Morning Collision Kills Columbia Teen, Three Injured A Columbia teenager was killed in a 3 a.m. collision on Thursday night, alcohol may have been involved. Report: No Drugs or Alcohol Found in Body of Man Killed by Trooper The mother of Daryl Berry, a Columbia native, wonders why Pennsylvania State Police have not released information related to the shooting death of her son. Three Charged in June Shooting of 15-year-old in Marriottsville - One man killed during Thursday night's arrests. County Execs: Utilities Must Give Us Data County Executives from across the state are urging Maryland's utility regulatory authority to take a closer look at how utilities do business during severe weather, and what they can do to be better …

•  1 Comment
• Videos (1)

State's Attorney Indicts Seven Illegal Nightclubs

The indictments were the result of a cooperative investigation by the State's Attorney, the Comptroller's Office, and county and state police agencies.

Seven illegal nightclubs were indicted today as a result of a partnership between Maryland Comptroller’s Office and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. The establishments identified by the investigation include: Puzzles Event Center in Suitland, De La Swan Event Atrium on Ardwick Ardmore Road, Let’s Chat in Suitland, Crossroads in Bladensburg, Plaza 23 in Fort Washington, Black Amethyst in Temple Hills, and CFE Club in Forestville. The nightclub owners were found in violation of numerous local and state laws relating to nightclub operation, the sale and consumption of alcohol and the payment of state and local taxes related to entertainment and the sale of food and alcohol that resulted in a tax revenue loss of around $…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Fallen Trooper Shaft Hunter Memorialized on I-95

"There are still heroes among us who are willing to give themselves for others." —Maryland State Police Superintendent Col. Marcus Brown

Trooper First Class Shaft Sidney Hunter had a personality larger than life, according to those who memorialized him Friday by dedicating a highway sign in his name on Interstate 95. Hunter, 39 and the father of six, attempted to stop a motorcycle at approximately 2:40 a.m. on May 21, 2011, when his patrol car ran into a tractor-trailer parked on the shoulder of I-95 south near the Welcome Center by Route 32. A witness told police that a motorcycle passed his vehicle "at a high rate of speed" and it was followed by a marked police car, which, moments later, crashed into the tractor-trailer in the fatal collision. Hunter had been with the Maryland State Police 11 years. On Friday, the State Highway Administration placed signs on northbound …

• Photos (15)

Blog: Making Maryland Safer With Appropriate Use of DNA

State police weigh in on how communities in the state could safer.