MoCo Police Officer 'Intentionally' Hit By Driver On I-270: Chief

GAITHERSBURG, MD — A Montgomery County police officer has lost the use of his legs after he was intentionally hit by a driver on Interstate 270 on Wednesday morning, authorities said at an afternoon news conference.

The driver of the car, 19-year-old Raphael Mayorga of Frederick was charged with attempted first-degree murder and other counts in connection to the incident, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said Wednesday.

According to police, Mayorga was speeding on the interstate — at times reaching speeds of 110 mph — while getting on and off the road, a tactic Jones said Mayorga has used in the past to provoke police officers into chasing him on major county roadways.

Sgt. Patrick Kepp and other officers were attempting to stop Mayorga on northbound I-270 shortly before 3:50 a.m. when he got out of his patrol car to deploy stop sticks used to deflate the tires of Mayorga's vehicle.

As he was placing the sticks, Jones said Mayorga intentionally moved his Dodge Challenger from the middle lane to the far left lane to strike Kepp.

According to police, Mayorga continued northbound before a second officer successfully deployed stop sticks and brought the car to a stop.

A second person in the car was also taken into custody but not charged, Jones said, adding that police are awaiting results to see if Mayorga was driving under the influence.

Police said Kepp was taken to Shock Trauma Center by helicopter for treatment. He remains in critical condition, according to authorities.

The crash closed the interstate in both directions for about 30 minutes Wednesday, WTOP reported. All northbound lanes reopened around 9:30 a.m.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.