WASHINGTON — A Silver Spring man is dead after police said a driver hit him and dragged his body under her car in Wheaton, Maryland. It could be weeks, however, before the driver is charged.
Just before 3:30 a.m. Saturday, a Montgomery County police officer was driving along University Boulevard West when he saw something dragging under a white Toyota Camry. Capt. Paul Starks said the driver accelerated into the parking lot of a nearby business after making eye contact with the officer.
“The officer observed the object under the vehicle was now lying on the road and was a person,” Starks said.
Per a preliminary investigation, authorities believe Edwin Diaz, 38, was hit while walking on the sidewalk along University, Starks said. Investigators think Diaz was passing the entrance to a business’s driveway near Amherst Avenue when he was struck by the Camry, Starks said.
Diaz could have been dragged 25 feet, Starks said. The victim was taken to a hospital and later died.
The accident-reconstruction team is piecing together the details to present its findings to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office, which will determine what, if any, charges will be filed.
“[The driver] was detained as per our protocol for DUI processing, but not charged until the completion of this investigation and the results are presented by detectives of the collision reconstruction unit,” Starks said.
