Car Smashes Into Police Car With Officer Inside on I-95 in Beltsville

BELTSVILLE, MD — A police officer who was sitting in his vehicle on the side of Interstate 95 to assist drivers involved in an accident was struck by a woman who was eventually arrested for suspected impaired driving, according to a report from Maryland State Police.

Police said that a College Park Barrack trooper had responded to a vehicle collision at around 11 p.m. Tuesday evening on northbound I-95 at Route 200 (Inter County Connector) in Beltsville.

"While the trooper was handling that collision on the right shoulder, a Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) Police Officer arrived to assist the trooper at the scene," the report states. "All vehicles were parked on the right side of the roadway in a construction zone away from the flow of traffic. The MTA Officer was sitting in the driver’s side seat in his marked Chevy Caprice patrol vehicle with his emergency lights activated."

Suddenly, a Chevy Cruise smashed into the driver's side of the cruiser, deploying the vehicle's airbags. The driver fled the scene, the report states, noting that troopers were able to track the vehicle down on I-95 and initiate a traffic stop.

Police arrested 43-year-old Carol Reed of Columbia for suspected impaired driving, the report states. Police are asking anyone with information on the crash to call Maryland State Police, College Park Barrack at 301-345-3101.

Image via Flickr user Scott Davidson