A woman tried to drive through a 10K race route in Montgomery County, but a fast-thinking officer was able to stop her by pulling in front of her and slamming on his brakes, authorities say.
Police body camera video shows how county officers stopped the driver.
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WATCH HERE“She’s on the course,” an official can be heard saying on a radio transmission.
An image released by police shows a black Jeep crashed into the back of a police cruiser. Straight ahead, in the direction the driver was heading, a crowd of participants in the Pike’s Peek 10K can be seen.
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SIGN UP Hundreds of racers were gathered along Route 355 in Derwood on Sunday morning when officers grew concerned about the driver’s behavior.
“I had her stopped at the gas station for traffic. She blew through and went straight,” an official said on a radio transmission.
“She almost hit me. King Farm and 355. She had a cone under her car,” another official said.
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Assistant Chief Darren Francke said his agency’s training on crowd security included possible threats by vehicles.
Just a day earlier, a car attack left 11 people dead at a festival in Vancouver, Canada. In January, 14 people were killed during a New Year’s Eve celebration when a man drove a pickup truck onto a Bourbon Street sidewalk filled with people.
“Luckily, we had a very tenured sergeant there. He made the split-second decision to get in his car, race ahead of the vehicle, pull in front of it and slam on his brakes,” Francke said.
Body camera video shows the moment the Jeep crashed into the police cruiser. That action finally stopped the driver, Karen Gangloff, 44, of Derwood. She was identified using an expired military identification, charging documents say.
“You have a window punch?” an officer can be heard shouting to a fellow officer. “Open the window!”
Gangloff, who appeared to be on her phone, refused to open the door, court documents say.
An officer shattered the driver’s side window and took her into custody. She was charged with first-degree assault and disorderly conduct. An ammunition clip with five bullets was found in the Jeep but no gun, police said.
News4 is trying to locate Gangloff’s attorney for comment.
