Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Anthony Benlizar, 17, was among three who died in the Beltway crash.
One of the victims in a fatal Christmas Eve crash on the Capital Beltway was Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School senior Anthony Benlizar, The Gazette reports. Benlizar, 17, of the 1900 block of East West Highway in Silver Spring, and Jasmine A. Fajemisin, 30, of the 1900 block of Rosemary Hills Drive in Silver Spring, both died the night of the crash, according to Trooper Baum of the Maryland State Police. Florentina J. Gonzalez, 72, also of the 1900 block of East West Highway in Silver Spring, died Jan. 1 at Innova Fairfax Hospital, Baum said. The Gazette reports that Gonzalez was Benlizar's grandmother. All three were riding in a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu driven by 37-year-old Rosa Benlizar when the Malibu lost control and struck a 1994 Toyota …
Monday, December 31, 2012
Maryland State Police will target areas where crashes, impaired driving arrests are the highest.
More state troopers will be on the roads now through New Year’s Day, part of an effort to reduce traffic deaths this time of year. Maryland State Police said in a statement Friday they would be targeting areas where crashes and impaired driving arrests are the highest. According to state police, there were six deaths on Maryland roads between Dec. 30, 2011 and Jan. 3, 2012. Police said two of those deaths involved impaired drivers. The additional patrols coincide with the Maryland Highway Safety Office initiative “Towards Zero Deaths” and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiative “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” Overtime costs for additional patrols was funded by grants from the Maryland Highway Safety Office, state …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The 17th annual plunge where participants run into the chilly Chesapeake Bay will take place on Jan. 26, 2013, at Sandy Point State Park.
Before you know it, 2013 will be here and so will the annual Maryland State Police (MSP) Polar Bear Plunge. Each year, thousands take a quick dip in the Chesapeake Bay to raise funds for Special Olympics Maryland. The Plungefest, which is open to the public, is set for Jan. 26, 2013, at Sandy Point State Park. Frigid Friday for participating schools will take place the day before the Plungefest. To participate in the plunge, you must collect a minimum of $50 in pledges—and if you're younger than 18, you must have a parent or guardian's written consent. It's still early but more than $200,000 has already been raised for Special Olympics Maryland to date, according to the event's website that also has a running countdown until the event. …
Friday, November 9, 2012
Police say a suspect eluded two troopers, hit one with his car.
A Washington, DC, man faces charges of attempted murder and assault in a police chase across Prince George's and Montgomery counties that ended in the injury of the man and a state trooper, police said. The suspect was identified as James C. Gregory, 23. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, state police said. He will be charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, theft of a motor vehicle, theft over $1,000, resisting arrest, false statement to police and numerous traffic charges, according to a state police press release. Police say they responded Friday to a report of a stolen 2007 gray Honda traveling southbound on Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 in Prince George’s County. A…
Monday, October 29, 2012
State police urge motorists to stay off the roads as much as possible.
Although Maryland State Police is not handing out citations for being on the road, they are strongly discouraging residents from driving. State police spokesperson Greg Shipley warned residents that increasing amount of standing water is a significant hazard to drivers because of the high risk for vehicles to hydroplane. “People don’t realize that you don’t have to be going that fast on the road to hydroplane,” he said. Hydroplaning is caused by water being pushed up to the tires and creating a barrier of water, which decreases tire traction and inhibits drivers’ ability to safely steer their vehicles. Basically, Shipley added, the vehicle will be traveling on top of water. Drivers could also run into other hazards like downed trees and …
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Maryland drivers who fail to stop and check for pedestrians at nonfunctioning traffic signals will soon face larger fines and points on their licenses.
Maryland drivers have a new set of rules to follow when they come upon a traffic signal that's broken, according to a Maryland State Police press release. The new law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, requires a driver approaching a nonfunctioning traffic signal from any direction at an intersection to stop at a clearly marked stop line, before entering any crosswalk or before entering the intersection. After stopping, the driver must yield to any vehicle or pedestrian in the intersection and remain stopped until it is safe to enter and continue through the intersection. "Just because a traffic control signal is not functioning at an intersection does not mean drivers are relieved of their duty to exercise care and caution," according to the…
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The beltway and other high traffic roads will see an increase in trooper presence this weekend.
Maryland State Police will be on the roads in full force this weekend, targeting potential crashes before they happen. If you’re planning a last-minute getaway before Montgomery County heads back to school, be aware that 22 Maryland State Police Department barracks will be alert and looking for aggressive driving, speeding, distracted or impaired drivers and seat belt violations. The effort comes in response to an increase in traffic fatalities. Traffic-related deaths are up 13.5 percent across the country for the first quarter of 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Maryland, there was an increase of 6 percent, according a Maryland State Police release. From Jan. 1, 2012, to July 23, 2012, there were…
Friday, June 29, 2012
Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police will specifically target drunk driving, aggressive driving and speeding this weekend, in addition to increased regular patrols.
Heading out of town this weekend? Stay alert for aggressive drivers and motorists driving under the influence during the Fourth of July holiday period, and the extra police presence deployed to handle reckless driving. The official holiday is Wednesday, but Maryland State Troopers will begin an increased traffic enforcement initiative this weekend to reduce traffic incidents statewide. Each of the 22 Maryland State Police barrack commanders will deploy special drunk driving patrols, as well as speeding and aggressive driving patrols, that will continue throughout the Fourth of July holiday. State officers also will be assigned additional traffic enforcement patrols when not responding to calls for other services. Drivers can expect …
Friday, March 23, 2012
Police pledge amnesty for anyone who turns in cash dropped from an armored vehicle.
Friday night's Mega Millions jackpot is $290 million. On Friday morning, a driver on Interstate 270 might've found a financial windfall of another kind, Maryland State Police said. About 9 a.m. an armored vehicle traveling northbound dropped a load of cash, state police said in a news release. The U.S. currency, in various denominations up to $50 bills, is believed to have fallen from an unsecured door of the armored vehicle somewhere south of Route 109, the release said. One driver told the Associated Press that the scene looked like "a snow globe of cash." Maryland State Police Sgt. Mark Cummings told the AP that two bags containing about $5,700 in cash and coins spilled onto the roadway. State police are asking anyone who picked up any …
Monday, March 19, 2012
State police: Maj. Robert J. Marchanti II, of Baltimore, will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Maryland State Police advises drivers to expect a funeral procession for a fallen soldier from Baltimore that will travel Maryland interstates during Tuesday morning’s rush hour. The funeral procession will carry the body of Maj. Robert J. Marchanti II, 48, of Baltimore, to burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. “The funeral procession may impact the morning commute and commuters are asked to use caution when travelling alongside the procession and if possible, consider taking an alternate route to work during that time period,” a news release from state police said. Marchanti was fatally shot on Feb. 25 in Kabul, Afghanistan, during an attack on the Afghan Interior Ministry. The procession will use the Baltimore …
Red White and Blue
1:02 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Heres' to all of the police in the country that work their butts off for all of us. Thank you all from the bottom of are hearts. Keep safe out there. more ›