An investigation is underway into a fatal crash that happened after Prince George’s County police tried to stop a driver for a traffic violation in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Wednesday morning.
Authorities say an officer attempted to stop two cars traveling in the area of Harry S. Truman Drive and White House Road at around 6:30 a.m., but both failed to stop.
Less than a minute later and about a thousand yards away, one of the vehicles, a Dodge Challenger, “crossed the double yellow line and struck an unrelated vehicle head-on,” police said.
The driver of that vehicle, whose name has not been released, did not survive their injuries. The striking driver was taken into custody.
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Police radio transmissions from the scene convey the officers’ frustrating wait over several minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
At one point, the officer tells the dispatcher, “We need for them to step it up please!” Later, “We need them to hurry please!”
Fifteen minutes after the initial call, an officer reports that they are performing CPR.
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Once the ambulance did arrive, the driver of the unrelated vehicle was taken to a hospital, where they later died.
The chief says the officer who initially attempted the traffic stop has been placed on administrative suspension while the investigation is conducted.
The Prince George's County Fire Department has not responded to a request for comment.
