BELTSVILLE, MD – Police in Baltimore said an impaired driver in a Ford Fusion crashed into the back of a Maryland State Police cruiser in Laurel, then the vehicle burst into flames.
“A suspected impaired driver was rescued from his burning vehicle after he struck a Maryland State Police patrol car which then subsequently struck a trooper, sending him airborne several feet from the crash,” the Maryland State Police said in a statement. “The accused is identified as Francis Ndoh, 29, of Laurel, Maryland. Ndoh is charged with driving under the influence. He was the driver and sole occupant of a light green Ford Fusion involved in the incident.”
The trooper was outside of his patrol vehicle when the suspected impaired driver struck his patrol vehicle. He was transported to Suburban Hospital for treatment of minor injuries and later released.
“Shortly after 2:00 a.m. Monday morning, troopers from the College Park Barrack were working a single-vehicle crash investigation on northbound Route 1 and Ritz Way in Beltsville, Maryland,” DSP said in a statement. “The driver of a Ford Fusion crashed into the rear of a marked patrol vehicle which then struck a trooper, sending him into the air about 10-15 feet away from the scene. The trooper had been standing a few feet away from his vehicle at the time of the crash. The other trooper, who was uninjured, was exiting his patrol vehicle at the exact moment the crash occurred.”
The Delaware State Police said both patrol vehicles were parked in the roadway with their emergency lights activated due to the first collision occupying a lane in the roadway.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the Ford Fusion caught fire after it struck the patrol vehicle. The driver was unconscious and remained behind the wheel in the driver’s seat,” police said. “Troopers on the scene immediately ran to the burning vehicle, opened the driver’s door, and removed him from the vehicle.”
The driver, later identified as Ndoh, then regained consciousness and requested to be seen by medical personnel. Ndoh was transported by ambulance to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center.