1 dead after police chase ends in Rockville crash, lane closures on I-270

A man is dead after a police chase led to a crash Saturday morning between Falls Road and Route 28 in Rockville, Maryland, leading to standstill traffic and lane closures on Interstate 270.

Montgomery County police said that around 5 a.m. they were called to do a welfare check on a man inside a car in the middle lane on the ramp of Rockledge Road.

Upon arrival, officers found the driver appearing to be intoxicated, with a gun on his lap.

Police said they tried to stop him from leaving but he was able to speed away. After a brief chase, the man crashed going south of Route 28, striking another car.

The fleeing driver was ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Two people in the other car were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

As a result of the crash investigation, I-270 closed northbound between Falls Road and Route 28, with traffic on I-270 diverted into the local lanes, WTOP Traffic reported. Northbound I-270 reopened to traffic several hours later.

The Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General will continue investigating this incident with assistance from the Maryland State Police Crash Team, according to a press release from Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown.

The IID said that officers’ body-worn and dashboard cameras were activated during this incident, and that footage will likely be released within 14 days.

I-270 is closed northbound between Falls Road and Route 28, and all southbound traffic on I-270 is diverted into the Local lanes, WTOP Traffic reported. (WTOP/Matt Kaufax)

Below is a map of where the crash took place:

This story is developing. Stay with WTOP for updates.

Tadiwos Abedje

Tadi Abedje is a freelance digital writer/editor for WTOP. He was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Northern Virginia. Journalism has been his No. 1 passion since he was a kid and he is blessed to be around people, telling their stories and sharing them with the world.

Terik King

Terik King is an Associate Producer for WTOP. Before joining WTOP in 2022 he held roles producing podcasts, unscripted television and content for MTV, the NFL and independent documentary production companies.

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