WASHINGTON — A wreck involving a state trooper Sunday reflects a troubling trend — it is the 13th crash this year in which a trooper or trooper’s vehicle was hit on Maryland’s Capital Beltway.
“It’s of great concern for us,” Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley told WTOP. “Obviously each time this occurs, their lives are in danger.”
In the latest incident about 8 a.m. Sunday, Trooper First Class Robert Cearfoss’s marked Ford Explorer patrol vehicle was struck on the inner loop of I-495 near Route 1.
“He was parked well onto the shoulder of the interstate … as part of his road patrol duties,” Shipley said.
Cearfoss — a veteran trooper — has been released from the hospital, Shipley said and is expected to return to duty after recovering at home.
Shipley said there’s a possibility alcohol was a factor in the crash. Charges against the driver of the other vehicle are pending test results and the conclusion of the investigation.
Both Maryland and Virginia have ‘move over’ laws that require drivers to change lanes or slow down when approaching roadside emergency vehicles.
The law applies to fire rescue vehicles and tow trucks in addition to police.
“We expect these men and women to be out there every day working along those roadsides keeping our roads safe and keeping traffic moving,” Shipley said. “So we need to be doing our part to make sure we give them as much a safety barrier as we can.”
Tickets for a first offense in Maryland cost $110 or $150 if a crash is involved.
