A man died after crashing a car and jumping over a barrier onto the inner loop of the Beltway in Lanham, Md., while trying to avoid police Tuesday morning, Maryland State Police said.
A trooper stopped 26-year-old Christopher Jarrell Wood in a gray 2009 Hyundai on southbound Interstate 495 at Interstate 295 about 3:15 a.m., police said. As the trooper got out of his vehicle, Wood drove away. The trooper returned to his vehicle and pursued.
Wood tried to take the exit to east bound Route 50 but struck barriers on both sides of the ramp. Police said while fleeing on foot he jumped over a barrier onto southbound I-495, where he was struck by a 2009 Toyota truck.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Toyota was not injured.
About an hour later, a Toyota Corolla rear-ended a tractor trailer. The driver was rescued from the car and taken to an area hospital. His condition is not known at this time.
The investigation into both accidents closed all lanes of the inner loop ahead of the morning rush. As of 7 a.m., all lanes of traffic were open.
