Victim Identified in Submerged Car Found Off BW Parkway (Update)

Updated at 12:30 p.m.

A Laurel man has been identified as the victim found in a car partially under water along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in Anne Arundel County, authorities say.

Marcus Freeman, 26, of Laurel, was reported missing on Oct. 15. An email from the city of Laurel says authorities have confirmed Freeman was the victim found seat-belted into in the vehicle submerged in a retention pond.

Freeman’s body was found about 2 p.m. by a worker cutting grass along the northbound parkway lanes near the Route 198 exit, reports WTOP. The U.S. Park Police and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service police are leading the investigation.

Once the worker saw the overturned vehicle overturned in the water, police officers broke out the vehicle’s windows and found the victim. Authorities told WTOP the man was dead; the crash likely didn’t happen on Monday.

Freeman is the son of City of Laurel Help Desk Coordinator Mark Freeman. Laurel Mayor Craig A. Moe has offered condolences to Freeman’s family and shared the news with city of Laurel employees.

Laurel Police put out a missing person’s report on Oct. 15 and then released a second one a few days later to include a description of the vehicle Freeman was driving when he disappeared. There were also multiple posts on various Police Department and City of Laurel social media sites.

Officers in Laurel say there was nothing suspicious about Freeman’s disappearance.

A man belted in the driver seat was positively identified as Freeman. His family was notified Monday evening.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash and when it happened.

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