Independent Investigations Division Investigating Fatal Crash Following Attempted Traffic Stop and Police Pursuit in Wheaton

Per the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office: “The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal crash following an attempted traffic stop and police pursuit that occurred in Montgomery County on December 13, 2023.

On December 13, at approximately 10:15 p.m., officers with the Montgomery County Police Department were on patrol when they observed a white Nissan Maxima and attempted a traffic
stop of the car in the area of Bucknell Drive and Cambridge Park Court in Wheaton. During the attempted traffic stop, the Nissan struck a marked Montgomery County Police car and fled the
scene. Officers pursued the Nissan northbound on Georgia Avenue for approximately 1.5 miles.

During the pursuit, at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Henderson Avenue, the driver of the Nissan struck a median, lost control, and entered the southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue
where it collided with two vehicles. The driver of the Nissan, an adult male, was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The passenger in the Nissan, a juvenile male, was
pronounced dead on the scene. The drivers and one passenger in the other two vehicles were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. None of the officers were injured.

The IID is investigating this pursuit with assistance from the Maryland State Police Crash Team. The IID will generally release the name of the decedent and involved officers within two
business days of the incident, although that period may be extended if there is a specific reason to believe that an officer’s safety is at risk.

The pursuit involved both marked and unmarked Montgomery County Police cars. The marked police cars are equipped with dashboard cameras. Montgomery County Police officers are
equipped with body-worn cameras. The Independent Investigations Division will generally release body-worn and dashboard camera footage within 20 business days of an incident. There
may be situations where more than 20 business days are necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need
to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.”