Police Officer, Dead Driver Names Released In Fatal I-270 Police Chase

BETHESDA, MD — The names of a driver killed in a crash after fleeing Montgomery County Police on May 20 has been released, along with the names of four police officers involved in the pursuit and accident in North Bethesda.

The Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Maryland Attorney General's office said Tuesday that Lawrence White, 37, of Washington, D.C., died in the crash that occurred along I-270 near Route 28.

All the involved officers are with the Montgomery County Police Department. They are: Sergeant Brett Trahan, a 29-year veteran; Police Officer III Kyle Baxter, a 9-year veteran; Police Officer III Jonathan Johnson, a 5-year veteran; and Police Officer Quinton Bowles, who has about a year-and-a-half of law enforcement experience. All of the officers are assigned to the Patrol Services Bureau, the news release from Anthony Brown's office said.

The process of identification was delayed due to an extensive amount of footage that required review by investigators, authorities said. As a result, the release of body-worn and dashboard camera footage in this case is delayed pending completion of interviews.

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 needed more time to make that determination, so the 48-hour deadline was extended.

Per the IID protocols, “The IID will generally release body camera footage within 14 days of the incident. There may be situations where more than 14 days is necessary, including 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.”

About 5 a.m. on May 20, Montgomery County Police 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 north 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 Brown's office said. The driver, White, 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, authorities said.

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