State Police Employee Was Driving Vehicle That Struck Trooper: Officials

Three people, including a state trooper from the Waterloo barrack, were hospitalized Wednesday afternoon following a crash on Interstate 95 in Howard County, according to a statement from Maryland State Police.

A civilian employee with Maryland State Police—Maureen Walter, 65, of Poolesville—was driving the vehicle that caused the crash, the statement said. In a past Patch story, Walter was identified as a property crimes investigator.

Police said Walter was driving a state police-registered Mercury on Interstate 95 south Wednesday afternoon when for reasons unknown, the Mercury traveled from the highway onto the shoulder.

At the time—approximately 3 p.m.—police said Trooper First Class Wing Tong was making a traffic stop on the shoulder of I-95 south in the area of MD 175 for a Ford with what appeared to be improper license plates.

As Tong approached the passenger side of the Ford, Walter’s vehicle drove onto the shoulder, hitting the police car and the Ford, the statement said. The impact from the crash pushed Tong, who was outside his vehicle, over the guardrail, according to the statement.

Tong was airlifted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Walter and the driver of the Ford—Fabino De Aguiar, 35, of Silver Spring—were taken to Howard County General Hospital with injuries from the crash, police reported.

Because of the debris and severity of the crash, I-95 was closed to southbound traffic in the area of MD 175 for several hours, including the Wednesday evening rush hour.

Related: Trooper Was Hit While Making Traffic Stop on I-95

No charges have been filed, and the Maryland State Police CRASH Team and Waterloo barrack are investigating, police said Thursday.

Tong has been with Maryland State Police for three-and-a-half years, according to the report.

Police said the lights on his vehicle were activated when he was conducting the traffic stop. There is a “Move Over Law” in Maryland that requires drivers, when possible, to move over one lane to allow space when there is an emergency vehicle with its lights activated, and if not possible to move over, then to slow down.