Drunk Driver Swipes Aberdeen Cruiser With Officer Inside: Police

ABERDEEN, MD — A Belcamp man who hit a police cruiser has been charged as the result of a crash in Aberdeen Wednesday night that authorities say highlights the danger of drunk driving.

Officers were conducting a traffic stop on US 40 near MD 7 when their cruiser was hit at 10:51 p.m., police said.

At the time the 2015 Jeep Cherokee crashed into the car, Aberdeen Police Sergeant Timothy Helf was in the passenger seat, and Corporal James Bodine was in the process of getting into the driver's seat of the cruiser.

Police said Bodine jumped on the rocker panel of the car to avoid becoming injured.

Ralph Green, 55, of Magness Court in Belcamp, is charged with DUI/DWI-related offenses, reckless driving, negligent driving and failing to follow the Move Over Law.

The Move Over Law requires moving into a lane not immediately adjacent or slowing down when approaching law enforcement vehicles, emergency response vehicles, recycling trucks, trash trucks and service/utility vehicles with yellow or amber flashing lights or signal devices.

See Also: Harford Deputies Crack Down On Move Over Law

"This incident highlights the danger that drunk drivers not only place themselves in, but
everyone on the road," the Aberdeen Police Department said in a statement Thursday. One person dies in the United States about every 48 minutes in a drunk-driving crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.