WASHINGTON — A major route through Prince George’s County, Maryland, was closed for hours on New Year’s Day after a man was struck and killed by a Metro Transit Police Department vehicle.
Just before 1 p.m. Monday, Maryland State Police said Officer Gary L. Bottalico, with Metro police’s K-9 unit, was driving northbound on Route 301 when, at Chadds Ford Drive in Brandywine, he hit a man walking across the highway.
Bottalico was off-duty at the time but was driving a marked, agency-issued vehicle on his way to work, state police said. He was not injured in the collision.
It’s unclear why the man was crossing the highway into oncoming traffic at the time, and police have said the crash is being investigated as “pedestrian error.” He died at the scene and has still not been identified because he did not have any ID with him, state police said.
Bottalico has been placed on routine administrative paid leave.
Police reopened the road a little after 5 p.m. after blocking traffic for several hours while investigating the crash. State police are asking any witnesses to call the Forestville Barrack at 301-568-8101.
See a map of the area where the crash happened below:
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty and Teta Alim contributed to this report.
This story was first published at 2:33 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2018. It has since been updated with the latest information.
