A Maryland school resource officer was found dead after his vehicle ran off Indian Head Highway in Accokeek, Maryland, and another officer was struck and injured early Friday while at the scene.
The officer who was found dead has been identified as Cpl. Patrick "P.J." Mann, a school resource officer assigned to St. Charles High School in Waldorf, the Charles County Sheriff's Office said Friday.
Mann was found dead inside his personal vehicle.
Prince George's County police said later Friday that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Prince George's County Police officers were called to the scene about midnight Friday.
As the investigation began, police shut down the roadway between Pine Drive and Livingston Road. Then the driver of an SUV traveling south on Indian Head Highway slammed into the cruiser of an officer who was manning the early-morning detour.
The Prince George's County officer was transported to a hospital and is in stable condition.
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The driver of the SUV was also taken to a hospital.
Indian Head Highway was closed in both directions for several hours as police investigated both incidents. It has since reopened.
AAA has called Indian Head Highway one of the most dangerous roads in the D.C. area. More than 60 people have died in crashes on the road since 2007, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. Last month, 5-year-old twins and their 1-year-old brother were killed by an alleged drunken driver who rear-ended their family's car.
Mann's death is being investigated by the Prince George's County Police Department.
Mann had been with the Charles County Sheriff's Office since 2005 and was transferred to the school resource unit in 2008. He worked at Matthew Henson Middle School and J.C. Parks Elementary School before being assigned to St. Charles High School in 2014. He also covered Mary B. Neal Elementary School.
"P.J. was a great school resource officer who was dedicated to the safety and well-being of students," Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry said in a release. "He was beloved by everyone who knew him." Mann participated in a program in which he mentored a group of students on academics, manners and life-skills, Berry said.
