Capital Beltway (I-495)

Man struck and killed on side of I-495 in Maryland

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A man was pulled over on the side of Interstate 495 in Maryland Sunday night when he was struck and killed by a car being driven at a high speed.

Ayuk Etta, 40, of Lanham was standing outside a Mercedes near Route 50 when he was struck by a Honda.

The crash spilled across multiple lanes of traffic.

The 19-year-old driver of the Honda and its four passengers are expected to be OK, Maryland State Police said. Two passengers in the Mercedes were treated at a hospital and released.

Road safety experts say people should never get out of a vehicle along a stretch of road like that unless they are certain it’s safe to do so.

“If you don’t have a Jersey wall or something to get behind and you don’t feel safer outside your vehicle, sometimes staying in the vehicle is the safer option than being on foot and right close to where your vehicle is,” Maryland State Police Capt. Brian Smith said.

The state’s move over law includes all vehicles on the side of the road as of Oct. 1, 2022.

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“One thing we do remind our drivers, as well, if you do become disabled, put your four-way flashers on because that will trigger the move over law for vehicles to move over if they can,” Smith said.

If they can’t, they are required to slow down.

Police believe speed contributed to the crash, which remains under investigation.

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