Delay In Release Of Driver, Officer Names In Fatal I-270 Police Chase

BETHESDA, MD — The Maryland Attorney General's office has delayed releasing the names of a driver and Montgomery County Police involved in a May 20 fatal chase and crash in North Bethesda.

The Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General is delaying the release of the identities of the driver who died and police officers involved in the fatal chase that occurred along I-270 near Route 28.

Typically, within 48 hours of a police-involved fatality, the investigations division releases the names of those who died and all involved officers. In the case of the I-270 fatal crash, authorities are still working to review the evidence they need to make that determination, so the 48-hour deadline was extended, a news release said.

Once investigators’ initial review and confirmations are complete, the identities of the dead driver and involved officers will be released online.

About 5 a.m. on May 20, Montgomery County Police Department officers received a report of an unresponsive man inside a vehicle in the area of Rockledge Drive in North Bethesda. Officers attempted to talk to the car’s driver, but the vehicle sped northbound on I-270.

After an estimated two-minute pursuit, the vehicle crashed in the northbound I-270 express lanes just south of Route 28, the attorney general's office said. The driver was pronounced
dead at the scene.

The occupants of another vehicle that was struck during the crash were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Officers’ body-worn and dashboard cameras were activated during the incident. The IID will
generally release body camera footage or dashboard camera footage within 14 days of an
incident. But that can be extended if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to redact the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public, the agency said.

The IID is investigating the accident with help from the Maryland State Police Crash Team.